Geographical Indications as tool for leveraging innovation & managing

agro biodiversityLectures delivered on10th May 2016- for participants of Bangladesh

Agricultural University

S.K. SoamHead, ICM Division

ICAR- NAARM, Hyderabad- 500 030

Biodiversity-Equitable benefit sharing

• Cyclosporin [Tolypocladium inflatum]- Novartis• Trichopus zelanycous [Arogyapachha, jeevani]• tef [Teff]- Ethiopia• Hoodia gordonii- Kalahari/San tribe 77-2002. Convention on

International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora [CITES certificate]

• Argania spinosa [Argan oil]- Morocco• Microrganism from soda lake in Kenya. Lake Bogoria-

stonewash denim- Leicester Univ, UK+Genencor+Proctor & Gamble- Tide. Extremophile enzyme, Puradax cellulase and Indiage neutra derived from bacteria from East African Rift Valley. Give jeans a softer feel and a stonewashed look

• NIPRISAN [Nicosan]- Nigeria/ Kasalath rice/ GLoFishTc/ Rice paten

• TK- indigenous knowledge & creative- not true science- inferior to western science

Convention on Biological Diversity

• UNCED: 3-14June 1992- Rio de Janeiro• Open from 5th June 92• In New York 15th June 92-4th June 93• Enforcement 29th December 93• 42 Articles- 2 annexure; 191 members• National focal point- national reports (Art 26)• National Biodiversity Strategy Action plan• Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical &

Technological Advice (SBSTTA-Art 25.3) for Conference of Parties (COP)

• Keywords: Ownership/Right to exploit as own environmental policies/Access/Equitable benefit sharing/conservation

TRIPS-CBD-WIPO• Art27.3b- Members may exclude from patentability

– Plant and animal other than microorganisms, and essentially biological processes…plant variety suigeneris+/or patent…review of provisions 4 years

• Paragraph 19 of Doha declaration– Source of gen. resource & country of origin– PIC (not required for FAO-IT)– Evidence of fair and equitable benefit sharing (mutually

agreed terms)• Art30-Members may provide limited exception to

the exclusive rights by patents- Farmers privileges• WTO-WIPO (PCT-PLT)- No hierarchy of agreements• India-lessons from Neem/Turmeric cases-TKDL-

Traditional Knowledge Digital Library. Source of origin and approval from NBA essential for Indian patent application.

International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources for Food & Agriculture-

ITPGRFA• Adopted- 3rd November 2001• Enforcement- 29th June 2004• Harmony with CBD• Conservation, sustainable use, fair & equitable sharing

(Art13), farmers’ rights & TK (Art9)• Sovereign rights of states• Multilateral system of A-B-S, subject to national

legislation• Facilitated access• GPA (Art 14), CGIAR system wide information network-

SINGER (Art17), commission on plant genetic resources for food and agriculture

• Keywords: SMTA, MTA, No IPR in the form received, dispute arbitration, local secretariat, benefit sharing, commercialization [1.1%], IPR-Royalty

Biodiversity-legal framework

International Legal Framework

National Legal Framework

Biological Diversity Act-2002

• President signature- 5th Feb 2003/ Enforcement- 15th April 2004

• National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), Chennai- 1st October 2003. http://nbaindia.org/

• 16 members- 1+3+7+5– National Biodiversity Fund-royalties, fees– Committee on agro-biodiversity

• State Biodiversity Board (SBB)- 1+5+5– State Biodiversity Fund

• Biodiversity Mgmt Committee (BMC)-1+6– Local Biodiversity Fund-local levy– People’s biodiversity registers

• Bangladesh?

Biodiversity as Geographical Indications

• General understanding about GI.• Some example of various types of GI.• How GI registered in India? Act and Procedures.

– GI Registry- http://ipindia.nic.in/girindia/• How GI registered in Bangladesh? Act and

Procedures.• Identification and prioritization. • Homonymous indications between India and

Bangladesh.• What is the role of agricultural scientists?• Strategic priorities for Bangladesh.

Special and Unique

Special – Not general– Exceptional– Extraordinary– Value added trait

• Absolute statement within the product (what is the specialty contributing to reputation?)

Unique – Distinctive – One and only– Have no like or equal– General or value added

trait• Comparative

statement encompassing similar products (How do we differentiate from other?)

Some examples of uniquness

Product Special Unique

Pokkali rice Organic nature Symbiotic cultivation

Navara rice Medicinal properties Shape, color & size of grain

Temi tea Organoleptic characteristics

Organic production

Assam tea Malty flavour and bright liquor

Processed by the traditional method of rolling

GI-TM-International issues-homonymous indications

Ownership/USP and Profit sharing

• Pride of ownership of brand (Confidence building among community)– Tea and spices in

general– Example of basmati rice– Example of Jamnagar

petrol/diesel – Example of Mysore

sandal soap• Ownership linked to

cornering community profit sharing– Darjeeling tea and

Makhana

Every bio-resource in not GI generally: How to make it a GI?

Kashmir kesar Russian cake

Social Research: Popularising the GIs- Churpi

Lab Research: Standards, quality & product development- Sangali turmeric vs Lakadong turmeric

Lab Research: Establishing the Uniqueness- Tibetan, Nepali & Sikkim Cordyceps? Or what is the difference

between Indian and Bangladesh Hilsa?

Extension Research: consolidation of farmers & groups

Market research: Brand building and product development: Hong Kong Tea Cake

Further Reading__ NAARM material on

http://eprints.naarm.org.in/• S.K, Soam and S.M., Ilyas (2008) 

Participatory Socioeconomic Analysis of Geographical Indications in India. ICAR- National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad.

– http://eprints.naarm.org.in/108/• S.K, Soam and B, Hanumantha Rao A Snapshot guide to Intellectual Property Systems.

 NAARM. ISBN 978-81-909983-0-7– http://eprints.naarm.org.in/22/

• Soam, S.K. and Kalpana, Sastry Socio-economic implications of GI registration for agricultural and non-agricultural commodities/ products in India: Volume-1: Analysis of country-wide survey results of 75 products. NAARM, Hyderabad, 503 pages. [Research Projects Reports]

– http://eprints.naarm.org.in/id/eprint/165• Soam, S.K. and Chaitanya, Amitabh Geographical Indication Portfolio Analysis for Enahncing

Income of Makhana Growers in Bihar.[Student Project Reports] (Unpublished)– http://eprints.naarm.org.in/163/

• Soam, S.K., S. Prakash Tiwari and R. Kalpana Sastry (2007). Sustainable use and Conservation of Agro-biodiversity through Protecting as Goods of Geographical Indications. In Agrobiodiversity, Vol. 1: Crop Genetic Resources and Conservation, edited by Kannaiyan S. and Gopalam A. pp. 229-241. Associated Publishing Company, New Delhi. ISBN  9788185211725

– http://eprints.naarm.org.in/166/• SK Soam (2011). Commercialization of health drinks as Geographical indications

– http://nopr.niscair.res.in/bitstream/123456789/11575/1/JIPR%2016%282%29%20170-175.pdf– http://eprints.naarm.org.in/168/

Content and photographs © SK Soam, NAARM, Hyderabad

soam@naarm.ernet.insudhir.soam@icar.gov.in