Cameroon adopts Nagoya Protocol to benefit from its rich biodiversity

Subject: Environment

Section: Int Conversation

Context:

Cameroon, a country rich in biodiversity in Central Africa, has adopted the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing.

About Nagoya Protocol:

The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilisation (ABS) to the Convention on Biological Diversity is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
It provides a transparent legal framework for the effective implementation of one of the three objectives of the CBD: the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic resources.
The Nagoya Protocol on ABS was adopted on 29 October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan and entered into force on 12 October 2014, 90 days after the deposit of the fiftieth instrument of ratification.
Its objective is the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources, thereby contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Exploitation of biological resources of Camroon:

The protocol is a response to the exploitation of Cameroon’s estimated 11,000 species of plants, animals, and microorganisms, which include valuable genetic resources and traditional knowledge used for bioprospecting – the search for new sources of drugs, food, and other products.
One highlighted issue is the exploitation of Prunus Africana, a plant endemic to Cameroon used in prostate cancer drugs.
Foreign companies have been buying this resource at low prices and selling the finished drugs at a high markup without benefiting the local communities.
The adoption of the Nagoya Protocol aims to change this dynamic by protecting the rights and interests of indigenous and local communities and promoting biodiversity-based innovation.

Solution:

Cameroon has enacted legislation to implement the Nagoya Protocol but faces challenges such as lack of tools, institutional capacity, and research and development on the biodiversity value chain.
To overcome these challenges, the Global Environment Facility has financed a project to support bioprospecting research in Cameroon.
The project focuses on several species, including the bush mango (Irvingiawombulu), known for its medical properties and economic potential.
Cameroon has also signed agreements with French and Swiss cosmetic businesses for research, development, and commercial activities based on the Nagoya Protocol, illustrating a move towards better leveraging the country’s biological resources for economic development and ensuring that exploitation is aligned with the protocol’s guidelines for fair and equitable benefit sharing.