THE world’s poor countries have struck a deal that will let them make money from drugs and other products synthesised from indigenous plants. But leading environmentalists have condemned the agreement. One calls it a plan “to privatise the genetic commons”.
Ten years ago, 160 nations signed the Biodiversity Convention. It said tropical countries with rich biological resources should be able to charge companies for “bio-prospecting” for either drugs or genetic information that could lead to new products. But it didn’t specify how.
Last week, signatories to the convention meeting in The Hague finally agreed on the Bonn Guidelines on Access…
