Skip to main content Skip to page footer
elni logo elni logo

Rights to Animal Genetic Resources – Basic facts and debates

Susette Biber-Klemm and Michelangelo Temmermann

elni Review 2011, Issue 2,  pp. 66-78. https://doi.org/10.46850/elni.2011.010

Different strands of thinking and various lines of arguments lie behind the enquiry into the creation of rights to animal genetic resources. These are fueled by three major developments regarding livestock genetic resources: the increasing volume in trade in animal products, the scientific progress in animal breeding with the advances in genetic engineering, and the so-called erosion of animal genetic resources. This paper discusses questions of conservation and the sustainable use of animal genetic resources for food and agriculture (AnGRFA) in context with international trade and property rights. It provides an overview of the ongoing processes, the current debates and involved institutions. The question asked from a trade angle is whether and how incentives (market incentives) can be created to address the failures that lead to market concentration and uniformity of breeds. The hypothesis is that the questions of ownership and allocation of the rights to the genetic information are key and a basis for creating incentives to provide for adequate investments in traditional breeds and foster creativity to adapt them to specific environmental conditions and consumer preferences.

Access full article

References

  1. S. Biber-Klemm and M. Temmerman, Rights to Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Notes from an interdisciplinary workshop, NCCR Trade Regulation Working Paper No 2010/05.
  2. M. Temmerman, Animal Breeders’ Rights(?), NCCR Trade Regulation Working Paper No 24/2011.
  3. S. Biber-Klemm, Livestock Keepers’ Rights, NCCR Trade Regulation Working Paper No 68/2011.
  4. Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, The State of the World’s Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture 145-147 (FAO, Rome, 2007).
  5. Biber-Klemm et al. Effects of International Legal Regimes and Policy Measures aimed at the Protection of Human, Animal or Plant life or Health on Animal Genetic Diversity. NNCR International Trade Working Paper No 2010/09. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1707265.
  6. H. Steinfeld and P. Chilonda, Old Players, New Players, in Livestock Report 2006 3-14.
  7. S.J. Hiemstra, A.G. Drucker, M.W. Tvedt, N. Louwaars, J.K. Oldenbroek, K. Awgichew, S. Abegaz Kebede, P.N. Bhat and A. Da Silva Mariante, Exchange, Use and Conservation of Animal Genetic Resources, Policy and regulatory options, CGN Report 2006/06 (2006).
  8. Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, The Roles of Small-scale Livestock Keepers in the Development, Use and Conservation of Livestock Resources, Doc CGRFA-12/09/Inf.12, FAO, Rome, 2009.
  9. Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Livestock keepers – guardians of biodiversity, Animal Production and Health Paper No. 167, FAO, Rome, 2009.
  10. O. Hanotte, T. Dessie, and S. Kemp, Time to Tap Africa’s Livestock Genomes, 328 Science 1640/1, 25 June 2010. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1186254.
  11. Hoffmann, Climate change and the characterization, breeding and conservation of animal genetic resources, 41 Animal Genetics 32–46 (2010). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2052.2010.02043.x.
  12. S.J. Hiemstra, B. Visser and K. Oldenbroek, Report of the International Technical Expert Workshop: Exploring the need for specific measures for Access and Benefit-Sharing of Animal Genetic resources for food and Agriculture (Wageningen, 8-10 December 2010).
  13. T.M. Swanson, The appropriation of evolution’s values: an institutional analysis of intellectual property regimes and biodiversity conservation, in: Intellectual Property Rights and Biodiversity Conservation: An Interdisciplinary Analysis of the Values of Medicinal Plants 141-175 (T.M. Swanson, ed., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1995). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511623417.008.
  14. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Saving Biological Diversity: Economic Incentives (OECD, Paris, 1996).
  15. S. Biber-Klemm and T. Cottier, Rights to Plant Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge, Basic Issues and Perspectives (eds.) (CABI Wallingford UK 2006). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1079/9780851990330.0000.
  16. Tisdell, Global Property Rights in Genetic Resources: Do They Involve Sound Economics? Will They Conserve Nature and Biodiversity? The University of Queensland, Economics, Ecology and the Environment Working Paper No. 150 (2008).
  17. H. Niemann, W. Kues and J.W. Carnwath, Transgenic farm animals: present and future, 24(1) Rev. Sci. Tech. Off. Int. Epiz. 285-298 (2005). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20506/rst.24.1.1568.
  18. H. Nieman, W. Kues, and J.W.Carnwath, Transgene Farm Animals: Current Status and Perspectives for Agriculture and Biomedicine in Genetic Engineering in Livestock. New Applications and Interdisciplinary Perspectives 286 (Engelhard, M., Hagen, K. and Boysen, M. (eds.), Berlin-Heidelberg, Springer, 2009). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-85843-0_1.
  19. Valle Zárate, K. Musavaya, & C. Schäfer, Gene flow in animal genetic resources: a study on status, impact and trends (available in the annex to Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, The State of the World’s Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (FAO, Rome, 2007).
  20. Flury Ch., Biotechnology in animal breeding - Present stage and foreseeable developments in Rights to Animal Genetic Resources, in Notes from an Interdisciplinary Workshop 25-28 (S. Biber-Klemm and M. Temmerman, NCCR Trade Regulation Working Paper No 2010/05, May 2010).
  21. M. Ivankovic, Analysis of Applicability of Access and Benefit Sharing Principles on Animal Genetic Resources (Centre for Genetic Resources Wageningen 2008).
  22. Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Framework Study on Food Security and access and Benefit-Sharing for Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Background Study Paper No 42 (2009).
  23. Mäki-Tanila, Differences between plant and animal genetic resources, in Rights to Animal Genetic Resources, Notes from an Interdisciplinary Workshop 25-28 (S. Biber-Klemm and M. Temmerman, NCCR Trade Regulation Working Paper No 2010/05, May 2010). DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1652166.
  24. Marguerat-König, Traditional animal breeding and property rights, in Rights to Animal Genetic Resources, Notes from an Interdisciplinary Workshop 14-16 (S. Biber-Klemm and M. Temmerman, NCCR Trade Regulation Working Paper No 2010/05, May 2010). DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1652166.
  25. S. Gura, Trade in animal genetics - Competition and Concentration in Rights to Animal Genetic Resources, Notes from an Interdisciplinary Workshop 53-55 (S. Biber-Klemm and M. Temmerman, NCCR Trade Regulation Working Paper No 2010/05, May 2010).
  26. Hoffmann, International flows of animal genetic resources – historical perspective, current status and future expectations (International technical expert workshop: exploring the need for specific measures for ABS of AnGR, Wageningen, 7-10 Dec. 2010).
  27. Gollin, E. Van Dusen and H. Blackburn, Animal genetic resource trade flows: Economic assessment, 120 Livestock Science 248-255 (2009). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2008.07.017.
  28. Animal Genetic Resources, CAPRI Working Paper 48 (2006).
  29. N. Mpofu, The multiplication of Africa’s indigenous cattle breeds internationally: the story of the Tuli and Boran breeds, 2002.
  30. J.E.O. Rege and J.P. Gibson, Animal genetic resources and economic development: issues in relation to economic valuation, 45 Ecological Economics 319-330 (2003). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-8009(03)00087-9.
  31. Tisdell and I. Seidl, Niches and economic competition: implications for economic efficiency, growth and diversity, 15 Structural Change and Economic Dynamics 119–135 (2004). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0954-349X(03)00002-X.
  32. The Group of Lisbon, Limits of Competition 133 (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press 1995).
  33. M. Temmerman, Intellectual Property and Biodiversity: Rights to Animal Genetic Resources Alphen a/d Rijn, Wolters/Kluwer.
  34. M. Blakeney, Trends in Intellectual Property Rights and Genetic resources for Food and Agriculture, FAO CGRFA Background Paper 58.
  35. M.W. Tvedt and M. Fickenhqgen, Scope of Process Patents in Farm Animal Breeding, 11 the Journal of World Intellectual Property 3-203 (2008). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-1796.2008.00343.x.
  36. T. Sommer, Patenting the Animal Kingdom? From Cross-Breeding to Genetic Make-Up and Biomedical Research, 39 International Review of Intellectual Property and Competition Law 2-139 (2008).
  37. M.F. Rothschild, G. Plastow and S. Newman, Patenting in Animal Breeding and Genetics (Oxon and New York, Cabi Publishing, 2003.).
  38. G.T. Kassie, A. Abdulai, C. Wollny, A. Drucker and W. Ayalew, Economic values of traits of indigenous cattle in local markets: implications for global genetic material transfer, in Rights to Animal Genetic Resources, Notes from an Interdisciplinary Workshop 20-24 (S. Biber-Klemm and M. Temmerman, NCCR trade regulation Working Paper No 2010/05 May 2010).
  39. Ch. Then, Opposition against patent on pig breeding – the reasons. in Rights to Animal Genetic Resources, Notes from an Interdisciplinary Workshop 48-52 (S. Biber-Klemm and M. Temmerman, NCCR Trade Regulation Working Paper No 2010/05, May 2010).
  40. J. Bilang, “Monsanto pig” and “Brassica” or the open question of what is an “essentially biological process” in Rights to Animal Genetic Resources, Notes from an Interdisciplinary Workshop 47 (S. Biber-Klemm and M. Temmerman, NCCR Trade Regulation Working Paper No 2010/05, May 2010).
  41. S. Biber-Klemm, T. Cottier, Ph. Cullet. and D.S. Berglas, The Current Law of Plant Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge in Rights to Plant Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge 56-110 (S. Biber-Klemm and T. Cottier, eds., CABI Wallingford UK, 2006). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1079/9780851990330.0056.
  42. M. Girsberger, Biodiversity and the Concept of Farmers’ Rights in International Law (Peter Lang, Bern, 1999).
  43. Nairobi Final Act of the Conference for the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological Diversity; May 1992.
  44. Draft Objectives and Principles related to Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources prepared at IWG 3 (WIPO/GRTKF/IWG/3/17, 2011).