10 October 2012 | EN | ES International meetings on biodiversity
have led to landmark agreements and spawned some characteristic
phrases. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has
spawned a series of agreements and technical phrases. Since it
entered into force in 1993, the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD) has firmly established that natural resources
are limited and their use must follow the sustainability
principle. The CBD calls for an ‘ecosystems’ approach that
protects and conserves species and genes while benefiting
humans. But issues have arisen around fair and equitable sharing
of genetic resources, especially around negotiations at the
World Trade Organisation. The wrangling over Genetically
Modified Organisms (GMOs) and their possible impact on the
environment and food safety portrays best the conflict between
different interest sets. Attempts to resolve these contentious
issues have resulted in a maze of agreements with attendant
terms and phrases that are not always readily comprehe