Tag: botany

Biopiracy is the term used to refer to the use of bio-resources by multinational companies and other organisations without proper authorisation from the countries and people concerned without compensatory payment. 

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, was instrumental in the spread of rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis) from Brazil to other parts of the British Empire.

Both Basmati rice and Neem have been subjects of international patent controversies regarding traditional knowledge and biological resources, which are classic examples of biopiracy.

Cinchona seeds were famously collected from the Andes region of South America, specifically Bolivia and Peru, and introduced to India by the British.

Answer is option A i.e. "British University of Portsmouth"
Thailand's Ministry of Science says that  Portsmouth University is guilty of "biopiracy" because it failed to return the 200 specimens of fungi which could provide a cure for cancer and were collected by Portsmouth University staff on a research trip to Thailand. Biopiracy is unethical,unlawful or commercial exploitation of biological materials that are native to a particular country.

Biopiracy is the term used to refer to the use of bio-resources by multinational companies and other organisations without proper authorisation from the countries and people concerned without compensatory payment. Thus option D is the correct answer.

Piracy is the unauthorized claim of copyrighted content or product or resources. It affects the economy of that country. If there is an unauthorized claim of novelty or patent and invention is called intellectual piracy. 

The commercial exploitation or monopolization of biological or genetic material, as medicinal plant extracts, usually without compensating the indigenous peoples or countries from which the material or relevant knowledge is obtained is called as biopiracy. In 1995, the United States awarded patent on turmeric to University of Mississippi medical center for wound healing property. The claimed subject matter was the use of "turmeric powder and its administration", both oral as well as topical, for wound healing. An exclusive right has been granted to sell and distribute. The Indian Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) had objected to the patent granted and provided documented evidences of the prior art to USPTO. Though it was a well known fact that the use of turmeric was known in every household since ages in India, it was a herculean task to find published information on the use of turmeric powder through oral as well as topical route for wound healing. Due to extensive researches, 32 references were located in different languages namely Sanskrit, Urdu and Hindi. 

Genetic resources are the genes found in plants and animals that are of actual or potential value to people. Through the use of new biotechnologies, genes from any organism can be transferred to another. Plant and animal breeders, for example, use genes found in wild species, and genetically engineered organisms are now being used for new industrial applications such as mining, wastewater treatment, etc. Thus option B is the correct answer. 

The neem campaign was initiated in $1998$. Neem Foundation is an Indian voluntary independent, non-profit organization established in $1993$. It is supported by leading scientists and environmentalists to engage in Neem related research. The Neem foundation is an important international forum for individuals and institutions and for the Neem movements of all countries. The Neem foundation also managing the national campaign to declare NEEM as the national Heritage tree of India.