Ethiopia is a country endowed with diverse biological resources; particularly the country has an enormous wealth of plant genetic resources. It is one of the Vavilovian center for origin and diversity of many economically important plant genetic resources. Access to these genetic resources and sharing of benefits arising from their use would contribute to conservation and sustainable use of these genetic resources. In line with access to genetic resources and benefit sharing from the use of the resources, Ethiopia has a transparent legal frame work and experiences.

Phytolacca dodecandra – Endod

Ethiopia has issued proclamation on Access to genetic Resources and Community Knowledge and Community Rights (Proclamation No 482/2006) and Regulation 169/2009. Based on these frameworks, the country has been implementing the access and benefit sharing objective of the CBD. The Proclamation includes a range of issues such as ownership, user rights, and conditions for access, benefit sharing, types of benefits, powers and responsibilities among the others. The law bears the necessity of prior informed consent (PIC) to access genetic resources or community knowledge. Following PIC, the Institute including relevant stakeholders negotiates on mutual agreed terms (MAT) with the user of the genetic resource.

Therefore this call is intended to encourage any bio-prospecting company or an individual interested to work on the following genetic resources from Ethiopia:

  1. Metarhizium anisopliae -biopesticides
  2. Beauveria bassiana -biopesticides
  3. Phytolacca dodecandra molluscicidal and many other use

We have attached literature reviews of some of the research works on these genetic resources in PDF file. Further information can be obtained from the Genetic Resources Transfer and Regulation Directorate, Institute of Biodiversity Conservation, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. E-mail: info@ebi.gov.et