Access and benefit-sharing and genetic resources for food and agriculture: typology of country measures

Book excerpt: The Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (Commission), at its Seventeenth Regular Session, requested to prepare a survey of existing legislative, administrative and policy approaches, including best practices, for access and benefit-sharing (ABS) for the different subsectors of genetic resources for food and agriculture (GRFA) and traditional knowledge associated with GRFA (TKGRFA) held by Indigenous Peoples and local communities, with the aim of identifying typical approaches and lessons learned from their implementation, as well as challenges and possible solutions. [Author] In response to the Commission’s request, a survey identifying the different types of legislative, administrative or policy measures countries have taken to accommodate the distinctive features of GRFA and subsectors of GRFA and of TKGRFA in their ABS measures was commissioned. [Author] At its Eighteenth Regular Session, the Commission, in considering the Survey, requested the preparation of a stand-alone document providing specific examples of existing country legislative, administrative or policy measures that directly or indirectly accommodate distinctive features of GRFA and associated traditional knowledge. [Author] This publication is Supplement I of the typology of ABS country measures reflecting the importance of GRFA, their special role for food security and their distinctive features. [Author]