A new way at looking at raw materials

BioTrade Potential for Growth and Sustainability
7 April 2010, Geneva Switzerland 

The informal brainstorming session on the BioTrade Potential for Growth and Sustainability brought together a group of experts and negotiators with unique perspectives on biodiversity, trade and intellectual property rights (IPRs) to discuss opportunities and challenges for its advancement in Latin America and the Caribbean. Representatives of several Permanent Missions of the Latin American and Caribbean region and other international experts participated in the event.

The workshop was organized in the framework of a regional initiative entitled “Biodiversity and Ecosystems: Why these are Important for Sustained Growth and Equity in Latin America and the Caribbean”, which is currently being implemented by UNDP in association with UNEP, ECLAC and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).Documents on stimulating trade and investment in biological resources to further sustainable development. 


The event, organized by the BioTrade Initiative of UNCTAD and the Regional Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean of UNDP, provided a platform in obtaining valuable inputs to the UNDP team in preparing the regional biodiversity report. 


 BioTrade refers to those activities of collection, production, transformation, and commercialization of goods and services derived from native biodiversity under the criteria of environmental, social and economic sustainability. http://www.biotrade.org/

BioTrade Principles and Criteria

Based on the experience of national programs in the implementation of their principles and criteria and the different contexts in which they have been applied, a general set of BioTrade Principles has been defined trough a joint process carried out by UNCTAD and the National BioTrade Programs. The following are the Principles agreed upon and adhered by the BioTrade initiative, its programs and partners:

1. Conservation of biodiversity
2. Sustainable use of biodiversity
3. Equitable sharing of benefits derived from the use of biodiversity
4. Socio-economic sustainability (management, production and markets)
5. Compliance with national and international legislation and agreements
6. Respect for the rights of actors involved in BioTrade activities
7. Clarity about land tenure, use and access to natural resources and knowledge

The BioTrade Principles and Criteria are based on the objectives of the CBD and other social and economic criteria that assure the sustainability of private initiatives and the competitiveness of these products in the market.

BioTrade principles and criteria are the basis for the definition of other tools developed by BTFP such as the verification framework for BioTrade products and BioTrade Impact Assessment System.