The issue of fair sharing of the benefits of commerical
utilization of biodiversity (e.g., pharmaceutical products derived
from plants) is at the crux of the biodiversity debate. Historically
developing nations, where much of the biodiversity is located, usually
have not benefited from the commercialization of active principles in
indigenous medicines that use local plants. However, access can be
an issue within nations, including developed nations such as the USA.
The Yellowstone National
Park may be the world's first modern "national park." It
is managed by the National Park Service under the Department of Interior
of the Federal Government of the USA.
Diversa Corporation (originally
Recombinant Biocatalysis) develops bioactive substances based on its molecular
biological and functional genomics research on biological materials, especially
organisms growing under extreme conditions, such as found in Yellowstone
(also Iceland, Costa Rica and Indonesia).
The World Foundation for Environment and Development ( WFED ) is a non-governmental organization
(NGO) based in Washington, D. C. It worked with the Yellowstone
National Park as the Park developed a co-operative program with Diversa
for "bioprospecting."
The Edmonds Institute
and the International Center for Technology Assessment ( ICTA ), both NGO's, opposed this agreement
and filed a suit
challenging it. An analysis of some of the issues involved may be found
here.
In April 2000, a federal court in Washington, D. C.
upheld the agreement between Diversa and Yellowstone National Park.
Press releases here from WFED
,
Diversa , and Yellowstone
; an assessment
from Edmonds Institute is here.