Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Biosphere - WBGU

Bioprospecting D 3.3
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infringing GATT. This statement is not to say that a
protocol is not needed, but rather to highlight its true
place: to create an optimized regulation taking into
special account the features of LMOs and to establish
the implementation of risk management at international
level, as already called for in Art. 8(g) CBD.
D 3.2.2.4
Recommendations
The Council supports the stance adopted by Germany
on the biosafety protocol that endorses inclusion
of human health and the precautionary principle.
The need for a protocol still exists and requires
continued strong commitment from the advocating
countries.The reasons for its failure lie with the interests
of a few states in exporting their agricultural
commodities. The Council has pointed out that there
are already mechanisms in place for a country to protect
itself in accordance with existing international
trade agreements against damaging impacts of
genetic engineering in agriculture and food, and
advises that this be made clear to the opponents of
the protocol at the forthcoming negotiations and that
the positive effect of an internationally agreed
regime be underscored. Furthermore, despite the
exclusion of the liability issue from the draft protocol,
account should be taken of the control function
of a liability regime; and the latter should still be
sought.
Insufficient scientific findings with regard to the
risk potential in the area of ‘green genetic engineering’
is one reason for the failure to achieve consensus
in comparison to other protective regimes (Basel
Convention of 1989, PIC Convention of 1998, negotiations
on a POPs Convention (persistent organic pollutants)).
In this field there is a need for intensive
research. Since ‘green genetic engineering’ is a technology
with major economic expectations there must
be a particular guarantee that the research is independent
of special interests.
D 3.3
Bioprospecting
D 3.3.1
Introduction
Numerous government institutions and private companies
are collecting, recording and analysing genetic
resources. Exploration of biological material for the
purpose of preparing it for potential industrial use is
termed ‘prospecting biological diversity’ (WBGU,
1996; referred to just as ‘bioprospecting’ here).
Because of the greater degree of success, this method
is pursued predominantly in countries with higher
biological diversity (Balick et al, 1996).
In this section only a few examples for the use of
natural substances can be picked out from this extensive
field.The closely related field of bionics with the
development of technological innovations on the
model of nature will then just be touched on. These
examples are intended to illustrate both the opportunities
for a forward-looking sustainable use of biological
diversity and also the possible risks of impairing
that diversity (eg through overuse).
Alongside conventional synthetic chemistry, particularly
in Germany, there has always been highly
developed natural substance chemistry. With the
development of natural substance products based on
fermentation in the 1940s and the increasingly
improved techniques in synthetic organic chemistry,
interest in the discovery of new natural products as
prototypes for pharmaceutical and agrochemical
products had for a time dropped in the 1960s and
1970s. Through modern chemical, molecular-biological
and physical procedures, natural substance chemistry
has experienced something of a renaissance in
recent times that, ultimately, has led to the current
interest in bioprospecting. Successful medical products
on the basis of new active substances are one
impressive example of this development. In particular,
the important potential of the higher plants, but
increasingly also the microorganisms, provide prototypes
for new pharmaceuticals, agro-chemicals and
other consumer goods (Feinsilver, 1996). The factors
that have led to this renaissance in the research and
product development of natural substances include,
in particular, improved molecular biology testing systems
to record biological functions (bioassays). Furthermore,
progress in chemical separation methods
for the production of pure substances and in the
structural understanding of molecules, in conjunction
with the worldwide increase in competition, have
promoted the upsurge of natural substance chemistry.
A changed perception and valuation of nature
and biological diversity for the well-being of humans
is also an important driving force. Consequently,
interest is growing in natural medicine practices from
all parts of the world.
The hunt for new, natural active substances takes
various forms. In the case of plants, it is best to travel
to the regions with high biological diversity and carry
out ethno-botanical experiments with the help of the
knowledge of indigenous communities in order to
increase the ‘hit rate’ for the discovery of new lead
substances (Teuscher, 1997). Some of the large pharmaceutical
companies such as Pfizer, the International
Plant Medicine Corporation (California),