Introduction to Biorights

Abstract

AbstractBiorights is a neo-economic conservation paradigm that has its origin in rights of commons, indigenous and local communities’ knowledge, innovations and practices that are collectively held and inextricably linked to traditional resources and territories, local economies, the diversity of genes, species, and ecosystems, cultural and spiritual values, and customary laws that shape the socio-ecological context. Rights of commons on their traditional knowledge are generally not protected by existing laws and regulations though they provide economic sustainability as an incentive, whereas traditional inventions are essentially motivated by subsistence requirements. Communities must preserve ownership over their traditional knowledge and bio-resources in order to prevent others from unwisely exploiting or pilfering them, while still taking advantage of market possibilities. This chapter is the first step in perception building towards place-based natural remedies safeguarding traditional knowledge and bio-cultural systems with customary laws, rights, values, and practices overarching traditional knowledge and biodiversity with indigenous and local populations. Customary rules governing access to and benefit sharing of traditional resources and knowledge can be integrated with ‘modern’ participative and scientific techniques based on the holistic notion of cohesive intersectional legacy. The goals of the strategies are to enlighten national and international policy on traditional knowledge to make simpler global policy to enact effectively.