Convention on Biological Diversity

About: Convention on Biological Diversity is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2232 publications have been published within this topic receiving 65599 citations. The topic is also known as: CBD & United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.

Exchange of natural enemies for biological control: is it a rocky road?-the road in the Euro-Mediterranean region and the South American common market.

Abstract: The access and benefit sharing (ABS) regulations from the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) for the use of natural resources became an important issue because the biodiversity of developing countries was heavily accessed and unilaterally exploited by pharmaceutical and seed companies. However, natural enemies used for biological control are living and unmodified genetic resources which cannot be patented and have been treated as resources such as drugs, seeds, or other commercial products. Consequently, the ABS requirements have limited not only the use of natural enemies but also the positive effects that scientifically supported biological control strategies have on the society, the environment, and the economy, reducing problems of pesticide residues, water and soil contamination, and non-target effects. During the last several years, the biological control scientific community has faced new and extremely complicated legislation dictated by a high and diverse number of governmental agencies at different levels, making the access to natural resources for biocontrol purposes a rocky road. Society at large should be aware of how the strict ABS regulations affect the use of natural enemies as biological resources to secure food production, food safety, and global environmental protection. We discuss in here the current difficulties derived from CBD for the exchange of natural enemies taking as example the Euro-Mediterranean region, Argentina, and Brazil to demonstrate how long and diverse are the steps to be followed to obtain the required permits for access and exportation/importation of natural enemies. We then argue that the public visibility of biocontrol strategies should be increased and their benefits highlighted in order to persuade legislators for the development of a less bureaucratic, more expedient, and more centralized regulatory frame, greatly favoring the practice and benefits of biological control. We finally propose a general framework in which ABS issues should be dealt in ways to attend the CBD, but also to make the use of natural resources for the biological control of pests to secure food production and security a possible alternative.

Influences of international forest policy processes on national forest policies in Finland, Norway and Sweden

Abstract: Several international processes provide recommendations for sustainable forest management, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe and the United Nations Forum on Forests. This paper explores to what degree and how these processes have influenced national forest policies in Finland, Norway and Sweden employing methods developed for studying effectiveness of international agreements. Empirical data on changes in response to the international recommendations were collected, revealing influences on all policy elements in Finland. In Sweden, minor influences were identified on only two out of five investigated elements, while Norway is in an intermediate position. The variations in influences on selected policy elements in rather similar countries indicate different national considerations in response to the international recommendations, signalling challenges in determining effects of the international processes. The assesse...

Domestic Animal Biodiversity in Ethiopia and its Threats and Opportunities with Emphasis to Changing Climate: An Overview

Abstract: Ethiopia has long been recognized as a center of diversity for domestic animal genetic resources which is vital component of agro-biodiversity Ethiopia is the major livestock country in Africa and enjoys considerable livestock resources both in terms of number and diversity The level of economic gains made from agro-biodiversity depends mainly on the existing indigenous crop/plant and livestock diversity, and on the practices and knowledge of the local farmers To these communities, losses in agro-biodiversity (more serious in livestock) mean less option in their production systems and hence reduced overall welfare and food security Climate change is likely to become the dominant direct driver of biodiversity loss Feed shortage and disease burden exacerbated by climate change Livestock production in already marginal ecosystems in Ethiopia is severely affected by climate change induced disasters Sheko cattle, the only taurine breed in East Africa and with Trypanotolerant traits appears to be highly threatened More efforts of livestock genetic characterization are needed to broaden the range of indigenous genetic resources and options available to livestock keepers seeking to adapt to climate change The information systems and community-based animal genetic resources conservation researched by such stakeholders as ILRI and maintaining pure indigenous breeds in government breeding Ranches and research centers are positive experiences The ratification of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Interlaken Declaration, and some policy issues are also opportunities towards cost-effective way of conservation and utilization of existing/indigenous animal genetic resources which ensures food security and sustainable agriculture Therefore, this paper is aimed at discussing current state of knowledge on livestock biodiversity and some potential adaptation and biodiversity conservation options to reduce the consequences of climate change Keywords: Adaptation efforts, Climate change, Conservation, Livestock biodiversity, Policy issues