ABS%20Workshop%20on%20

1
ABS Workshop on certificate of
origin/source/legal provenance, Addis Ababa
March 28th-30th 2007

• Commercialisation of alkaliphilic bacteria
  originating from Kenya

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• Peter Munyi
• International Centre of Insect Physiology and
  Ecology (ICIPE)
• pmunyi_at_icipe.org

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Name and type of genetic resource

• Alkaliphilic Bacterium (Extremophiles)
• -micro organisms that thrive under extreme
  conditions including high Ph and salt
  concentration and which live in the highly
  caustic lakes of Kenyas Rift Valley so called
  soda lakes.

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Actors involved

• The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) (Kenya)
• University of Leicester (UK)
• Genencor International (USA)
• Gist Brocades (the Netherlands)

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How the genetic resource is used

• To manufacture a product, Indiage, that softens
  the fabric denim giving them the faded look.
• To manufacture a product, Puradax, an ingredient
  in washing powders.
• Both products are believed to be enzymes
  maintained and multiplied through cloning. There
  is no known tk related to these products

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Genencors 2002 Annual Report
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Type/kind of ABS Agreement

• None

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Agreed benefits in the agreement

• None as no agreement exists
• However, the understanding is that ex post facto
  arrangements are under negotiation.

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Benefits realised to date

• None, as no agreement exists.
• However, the understanding is that these are
  under negotiations.

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Conclusions

• Lack of clarity in Kenyas legal framework has
  been cited as the cause of this case.
• Lack of capacity and resources to address the
  issue in key Kenyan institutions.
• Problems in regulating research in the academic
  sector.
• Enforcement questions.
• Issues arising due to pre and post CBD
  collections

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Questions and/or comments??

• Thank you!!