8:30 - 8:45

Catch of the Day

The Catch of the Day refers to a recapitulation of the most important issues that were raised the day before.

• A broad consultative process is crucial in an African context especially bearing in mind that boundaries between African countries are a result of arbitrary colonial borders and a number of have communities and resources that are spread beyond their borders.
• Benefits of ABS can be both – material and non-material, e.g. sharing of knowledge. It is therefore important not to focus only on possible monetary benefits and think innovatively about the non monetary benefits that could accrue to Africa
• In a number of cases it is nearly impossible to quantify benefits and the notion of social license is an important way of dealing with situations such as this
• Local industry needs to become increasingly involved in the value creation of natural resources both in the context of exports and to meet the needs of the local market
• Need to develop a supply chain that takes ABS into consideration from the outset
• Need to make a careful distinction between ABS and Biotrade since there are cases where they overlap and cases where they do not
• There is a lack of a common vision towards building a practical approach to ABS

8:45 - 10:00

 

Demystifying ABS requirements: South Africa

The theme of the second day was ‘Demystifying ABS Requirements’. This theme in many ways captured the concerns of the different participant stakeholders from the previous day especially since most of the concerns had to do with a lack of clarity as to the nature and extent of ABS. The first session on demystifying ABS requirements started with reporting back and open discussion about the previous day and was followed by a presentation of Ms.Wolfson (SANBI). She presented the South African legislations and regulations that dealt with ABS- specifically the National Environmental Management Act and the Biodiversity Act and gave a brief overview of the different aspects of the act, draft regulations and concerns raised during the public consultation process. In the context of the Act she emphasized on benefit-sharing agreements, Material Transfer Agreements (MATs), and Bioprospecting Trust Funds. 

This example of already existing legislations was followed by Mr. Busang from the MRC with the practical example of Silybum marianum (milk thistle) of the Tsolwana Municipality in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Mr Busang provided an overview about MRCs (Medical Research Council, South Africa) general benefit-sharing model highlighting difficulties associated with benefit sharing in the context of traditional knowledge.

Both presentations were accompanied with intensive plenary discussions.

• The South African legislation/regulations
  Maureen Wolfson, South African Biodiversity Institute (SANBI)

Biodiversity_Act_Chapter_6.ppt Dr. Maureen Wolfson; National Biodivsersity Institute South Africa; ABS legal framework in SA National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act

1.0 MB

• Practical experiences: MRC project on traditional medicine
  Rabogajane Busang, Medical Research Council, South Africa

mrc_rsa.ppt Rabogajane Busang; MRC Innovation Centre, South Africa; ABS: MRC Models

5.0 MB

10:00 - 10:30

Coffee Break

10:30 - 12:00

Session 2: Demystifying ABS requirements cont.: Ethiopia

Mrs. Workeye from the Ethiopian Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (IBC) started the second session with introducing participants to ABS legislation in Ethiopia. By using the example of Vernonia galamensis – an oilseed crop she showcased existing agreements on ABS highlighting the necessity to have legal clarity on the process of access to, and benefit-sharing in the context of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge. In the second part of her presentation, Mrs Workeye presented the agreement on Vernonia between IBC and Vernique Biotech Ltd.

The next presentation was made by Mr. McClory from Vernique Biotech Ltd. who described the process of product development beginning with the discovery of the oilseed Vernonia, its screening / analysis, the conservation of the wild species, the challenges of commercializing it concluding with benefit-sharing agreements with Ethiopia.

Both presentations were followed by enthusiastic discussions.

10:30 - 12:00

• The Ethiopian ABS legislation
  Feaven Workeye, Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (IBC)

ET-Vernonia-galamensis-FW-2007-06.ppt Feaven Workeye; Institut of Biodiversity Conservation Ethiopia; Agreement on Access to, and Sharing Benefit from Vernonia galamensis L

665 kB

• Practical experiences: the Vernonia case
  Paul McClory, Vernique Biotech Ltd

Vernique_-_ABS_Workshop_Namibia_June_2007.ppt Paul McClory, Vernique BioTech Ltd, UK

1.5 MB

12:00 - 13:30

Lunch

13:30 - 15:00

Session 3: Demystifying ABS requirements cont.: Namibia

Taking into consideration what had been presented in the previous sessions, the third session focused on the one hand on the Namibian legislation, its challenges and constraints, and on the other hand on the pipeline approach for a commercialization of indigenous natural products in Namibia.
Mr Shikongo, MET introduced the existing Namibian legislation and interim measures that they had put in place while awaiting ABS legislations. The interim measures included the establishment of an interim bio-prospecting council within the next two months.Mr. du Plessis from the Centre for Research Information Action in Africa (CRIAA SADC) presented the work of the Indigenous Plant Task Team (IPTT), its strategy and Action Plan for fostering the sustainable utilization of indigenous plant resources like devil’s claw, marula and melon seed. He highlighted that rather than focusing exclusively on benefit-sharing, it is important to also take on board ideas risk-sharing between communities and prospectors.
Questions and discussion followed both presentations.

 

• The Namibian legislation – challenges and constraints
  Sem Shikongo, Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), Namibia

Namibian_process_200706.ppt Sem T. Shikongo, MET Namibia; The Namibian legislation: Challenges and Constraints

1.5 MB

• Namibia’s pipeline approach for indigenous natural products commercialisation
  Pierre du Plessis (CRIAA – SADC)

GTZ_ABS_workshop_pipeline_approach.ppt Pierre du Plessis; CRIAA South Africa; Namibia's pipeline approach to indigenous natural products commercialisation

59 kB

15:00 - 15:30

Coffee Break

15:30 - 17:00

Session 4: Demystifying ABS requirements: Excursion to a Namibian project

• Guided tour through the facilities of the Katutura Artisans Project

After a long day of intensive work, participants went on a fieldtrip. During the guided tour through the facilities of the Katutura Artisans Projects, participants discussed the benefit-sharing model adopted by the community project. It was an example of risk sharing where the community is involved right from the outset in participating in the development of the ultimate product. It also presented a model of how indigenous natural products can be locally marketed. The evening ended in dinner and a cultural show with a Namibian dance troupe presenting a variety of dances of the different ethnic groups of Namibia

17:00

Social Event and Dinner in Katutura

The evening ended in dinner and a cultural show with a Namibian dance troupe presenting a variety of dances of the different ethnic groups of Namibia.