Biopiracy corresponds to the exploitation, manipulation and transfer between countries of different forms and species of living beings for commercial purposes. Scientists, often sent by companies, appropriate the knowledge of the natives and also their resources without any authorization or payment.
The intertropical zones of the planet are home to much of the world's biodiversity and it is precisely in these areas that find the underdeveloped countries that generally do not have an inspection that guarantees the protection of their resources natural.
According to estimates, this type of practice generates revenue of something around 10 billion dollars annually, Brazil is responsible for 10% of this trade.
There are several animals in Brazil that are exploited, such as the jararaca snake that produces substances in its poison and that, from them, medicines are produced to combat the hypertension. In recent years a laboratory in the United States removed substances from a frog native to Ecuador that generated an anesthetic capable of overcoming the morphine, in this case the drug company generated millions in profit while the country of origin of the animal did not obtain even one type of prescription.
At the Eco-92 conference, the Convention on Biodiversity was held, which generated the Global Strategy document for Biodiversity, in which more than 80 actions linked to measures to preserve diversity were defined biological. Among many of these actions, there is one linked to biopiracy, which provides for payment by the interested explorer to the country from which such biological resource is being withdrawn.
Countries that practice this type of expedition were against the measure, claiming that studies do not always generate financial income. So, this practice has been continuously carried out by the major world economies that fail to reimburse resource owners.
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By Eduardo de Freitas
Graduated in Geography
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
FREITAS, Eduardo de. "Biopiracy"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/geografia/biopirataria-1.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.
