International Institute for Environment and Development 
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| International Institute for Environment and Development |
|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
IIED Links: |
|
|
|
Related Links: |
|
|
Research theme: Institutions, Governance and Power
Protecting Community Rights over Traditional Knowledge
This project is exploring the customary laws and practices of indigenous and local communities to identify appropriate mechanisms for protecting their resource rights and knowledge systems. It involves participatory research at community level to strengthen local capacity and inform the development of sui generis systems at local, national and international level. We are applying the Code of Ethics of the International Society of Ethnobiology, which identifies 15 principles, including: Prior & Inalienable Rights over land, Natural Resources and TK; Self-determination; Active Participation; Full Disclosure; PIC and the right to Veto any study or activity; Confidentiality; Respect (eg. of spiritual values); Compensation and Equity; and Restitution.
Case studies are focusing on traditional potato varieties of Quechua peoples in Peru; Embera-Kuna medicinal knowledge in Panama; rice varieties of indigenous farmers in India (Eastern Himalayas and Chattisgarh); Yanadi medicinal knowledge in Chittor District (Andhra Pradesh); traditional maize varieties in Guangxi, SW China; and medicinal knowledge of Maasai and Mijikenda communities in Kenya. A key finding of the project is the need for holistic rights-based approaches that protect traditional knowledge systems as a whole, rather than focusing narrowly on the intellectual component of knowledge systems. This is critical to maintain and strengthen local knowledge systems for livelihoods and biodiversity. We are therefore focusing our research and policy work on the concept of ‘Collective Bio-Cultural Heritage’. This concept, initially developed by ANDES, Peru, recognises the interlinked nature of traditional knowledge, biodiversity, landscapes, culture and customary laws. Key documents and resources:
Available in English [23KB] Spanish [22KB] Partners: India: Herbal Folklore Research Centre (HFRC), Ecoserve and Centre for Indigenous Farming Systems China: Centre for Chinese Agricultural Policy (CCAP) Kenya: Southern Environment and Agriculture Policy Research Institute (SEAPRI), of the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) and the Kenya Forestry Research Institute. Peru: Kechua-Aymara Association for Sustainable Communities (Andes) Panama: Fundacion Dobbo Yala and University of Panama The project is funded by IDRC (Canada), the Rockefeller Foundation, SwedBio, Sida, the Christensen Fund and the Netherlands Ministry for Development Cooperation (DGIS).
Useful links: CBD and Traditional Knowledge Call of the Earth / LLamado de la Tierra GRAIN Tebtebba International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB)
Contact: Krystyna Swiderska, IIED Copyright © 2005 International Institute for Environment and Development. |
Agriculture, Biodiversity
and Livelihoods Home About Us Research
Themes Agriculture, Biodiversity
and Livelihoods Publications Partners Links Agriculture,
Biodiversity and Livelihoods Staff Contact
Agriculture, Biodiversity and Livelihoods
|
||
|
The
current system of intellectual property protection (eg. patents), designed
to promote commercial and scientific innovation, offers little scope for
protecting the knowledge rights of indigenous peoples, traditional
farmers and healers. Safeguarding this rich knowledge base requires
the development of alternative systems, which support the distinct socio-economic,
cultural and ecological needs of local resource custodians. 
