Bioprospecting: effects on environment and development

This article discusses the issues surrounding bioprospecting, paying particular attention to its on conservation and development, through examining bioprospecting case studies in Tanzania, Norway, and Costa Rica. It provides background information on the role of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and examines the "win-win" argument (companies as well as developing countries win from bioprospecting) versus the "biopiracy" argument (bioprospecting, or biopiracy, is a new form of colonialism where developing countries are exploited for their natural resources).

The benefits accrued to each of the case study countries are examined, and the article finds that some economic gains are possible from bioprospecting, although expectations should not be exaggerated. However, the article argues that a fundamental necessity for source countries is to establish an institutional framework to facilitate sustainable bioprospecting with benefit sharing. In addition, in order for the activity to represent a sustainable use of biodiversity, the actors need to develop adequate methodologies to secure ecologically sound collections.