Routledge Food Security, Biological Diversity and Intellectual Property Rights (Intellectual Property, Theory, Culture)

This volume advances the claim that the FAO International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) adopted in 2001 is the only existing international agreement with the potential to promote food security, conservation of biodiversity and equity. However, for germplasm-rich countries, national interests come into conflict with the global interest. This work shows that the pursuit of national interests is counterproductive when it comes to maintaining genetic resources, food-security and rent-seeking and that optimally, the coverage of the FAO Treaty should be widened to apply to all crops. Review 'This book provides a clear and crisp analysis of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. By putting the Treaty in the broader conceptual context that informs it, this book will be a key resource for anyone interested in international law and policy concerning food security and the conservation of plant genetic resources.' Philippe Cullet, School of Oriental and African Studies - University of London, UK About the Author Dr Muriel Lightbourne is an in-house legal counsel with INRA Angers-Nantes. She was formerly a Visiting Scholar at College of Law, University of Illinois, Champaign and previously, a Senior Research Fellow, Queen Mary College, University of London. She has published widely on aspects of plants, food and intellectual property rights.