India's Biodiversity Resource Distribution Achievements

National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) Updates on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS)

1. Financial Distribution:

   • NBA has surpassed ₹200 crore in cumulative distribution for Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS).
   • An amount of ₹8.23 crore will be distributed among states and Union Territories (UTs) from ABS, specifically from four major vegetable crops (bitter gourd, okra, chili, and onion).

2. Stakeholders:

   • The funds were sourced from companies like:
     • M/s Namdhari Seeds India Pvt. Ltd.
     • M/s East West Seeds India Pvt. Ltd.
     • M/s Bayer Science and Innovation Pvt. Ltd.
   • These companies obtained access to biological resources for research and commercial use.

3. Distribution Mechanism:

   • Funds are allocated based on the area cultivated for the related crops, as published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.
   • Distribution is managed through state biodiversity boards (SBB) and UT biodiversity councils (UTBC).

4. Top Beneficiary States:

   • Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra received the highest ABS amounts due to their significant contributions to the cultivation of the respective crops.
   • Specific amounts distributed to top states:
     • Madhya Pradesh: ₹1,17,39,914
     • Maharashtra: ₹1,01,30,649
     • Andhra Pradesh: ₹75,55,077
     • Karnataka: ₹65,22,893
     • Gujarat: ₹64,05,708
     • Odisha: ₹57,63,361
     • Bihar: ₹47,63,367
     • Chhattisgarh: ₹39,91,285
     • West Bengal: ₹36,04,978
     • Uttar Pradesh: ₹35,72,456
     • Remaining states/UTs: ₹1,82,88,892

5. Legal Framework:

   • The distribution of funds is mandated under Section 32(2) of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
   • Activities funded include:
     • Documentation and updating of People’s Biodiversity Registers (PBR).
     • Conservation of biological resources both in-situ and ex-situ.
     • Restoration of degraded ecosystems.
     • Strengthening biodiversity heritage sites.
     • Capacity building of Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs).
     • Improvement of community livelihoods.

6. International Commitments:

   • This initiative aligns with India's commitments under:
     • The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
     • The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits arising from their Utilization.
     • The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), particularly Goal 13, which advocates for fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from genetic resources.

7. Significance:

   • The ABS distribution is a critical step in ensuring that benefits derived from biological resources are directed towards biodiversity conservation and community-centered activities.
   • It underscores the NBA’s ongoing efforts to implement the principles of fair and equitable sharing of benefits from biological resource utilization.

Conclusion

The National Biodiversity Authority's recent distribution of ABS funds marks a significant achievement in India's biodiversity management efforts, highlighting the importance of equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms in line with both national laws and international biodiversity agreements.