The wto and patenting of life forms: Policy options for developing countries

This paper argues that whether developing countries will be able to protect their plant genetic resources and the right of local communities to control and enjoy the benefits of their traditional knowledge will be determined both by policies adopted by the World Trade Organization ( wto ) and by the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Third world quarterly 2003-02, Vol.24 (1), p.29-45
Main Authors: Plahe, Jagjit Kaur, Nyland, Chris
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Crops
Developing countries
Development studies
Flora
Flowers & plants
Food security
Indigenous knowledge
Intellectual property law
International agreements
Inventions
LDCs
Patent law
Plant genetics
Property rights
Public policy
Traditional knowledge
World Trade Organization
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Summary:This paper argues that whether developing countries will be able to protect their plant genetic resources and the right of local communities to control and enjoy the benefits of their traditional knowledge will be determined both by policies adopted by the World Trade Organization ( wto ) and by the domestic policies these nations implement within their respective countries. Drawing on empirical data from a survey of various stakeholders on the issue of 'patenting of life forms', we argue that developing countries must unite behind the demand for a minimum wto standard that recognises and upholds the principle of 'prior informed consent'. 1 The paper also presents a number of domestic policy options available to developing countries to protect their key social, cultural and economic rights with regard to the patentability of life forms.
ISSN:0143-6597
1360-2241
DOI:10.1080/713701368