6. Biopiracy

                We have seen the vast range of influences plants have had on our world; however, the exchange of this knowledge was not always conducted ethically. The discovery of new biological information is referred to as bioprospecting. Biopiracy is a type of bioprospecting, where this biological knowledge is exploited, without appropriate compensation to those originally familiar with the plant. Also referred to as ‘plant transfers,’ biopiracy has been an issue with biological progress, both historically and in modern times.

1.

                In the early 1800s, China had a monopoly on tea, as it was the sole exporter of the plant and restricted trade. The demand was growing in Europe, however, and the British East India Company wanted their own access to the plant. In 1848, the company sent Robert Fortune, a plant hunter, to China to collect and retrieve tea. Fortune traveled to China in disguise, where he collected plants and seeds, and learned about growing methods, which were much simpler than the Westerners had believed. Fortune brought more than twenty thousand tea plants to India, which by 1890, supplied 90% of Britain’s tea.

2.

                Another historical example of biopiracy involves the transfer of quinine. Quinine was the first effective treatment for malaria, and is derived from the bark of the cinchona tree, which is indigenous to South America. The demand for quinine was so high that the cinchona tree nearly became extinct. Then, in 1860, Clements Markham successfully smuggled cinchona seeds to Britain, which were then cultivated in India and the West Indies.

3.

                This crime is an issue in the ancient world as well as the modern world. In 1997, an American company was granted a patent on Basmati rice, even though this rice had been grown for thousands of years by Indian and Pakistani growers. This meant that the growers and exporters would have to pay royalties to the company if they used the familiar Basmati name that they had used for years. This patent was rescinded after protests, but it is still an example of how biopiracy helps developed countries exploit foreign farmers and growers.

4.

                Biopiracy has a culturally and biologically negative impact. First of all, this practice is harmful to the interests of the indigenous people who have the knowledge of the plant and how to use it effectively. These people receive no compensation for their information, which is a form of exploitation. Additionally, biopiracy threatens biodiversity.

Relevant Sites:

http://www.lepassagemoganshan.com/index.php/plant-hunters/tea-thieves-plant-hunters

http://www.amazonlink.org/biopiracy/biopiracy_history.htm

http://www.infobarrel.com/Biopiracy_and_Brazil

https://www.downtoearth.org/environment/genetic-engineering/ancient-rice-modern-world-biopiracy-and-bioengineering

Photo Citations:

1. http://sites.duke.edu/amazonbiopiracy/files/2013/12/Biopiracy2.jpg

2. http://www.roninfilms.com.au/images/large/466.jpg

3.­ http://portlandfoodanddrink.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/quinine-bark.jpg

4. http://simbahayan.tripod.com/images/biopiracy.gif