Tony Bennett, Differing diversities - Council of Europe

Differing diversitiesList of acronyms and abbreviationsCBDConvention on Biological DiversityCGIAR Consultative Group on International Agricultural ResearchCouncil Parties Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Luxembourg, Switzerland,United KingdomECEuropean CommunityEUEuropean UnionFAOFood and Agriculture OrganisationGBIF Global Biodiversity Information FacilityIPBIN Indigenous Peoples’ Biodiversity Information NetworkIPRsIntellectual property rightsITKIP Indigenous and traditional knowledge, innovations and practicesKIPKnowledge, innovations and practicesNGOs Non-governmental organisationsTRIPs Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Properties AgreementUPOV International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of PlantsWIPO World Intellectual Property OrganisationWTO World Trade OrganizationNotes1. A recent survey of important works may be found in King and Eyzaguirre, 1999. Anenormous bibliography is maintained by Graham Dutfield and is operated from OxfordUniversity at the website for the Working Group on Traditional Resource Rights: (30.07.00).2. According to an Australian report on biodiversity, “[t]he loss of rich, biologicallydiverse environments (such as the Amazonian forests) through activities such as logging,land clearance and mining and development has profound consequences in itsimpact on the culturally diverse groups of indigenous peoples whose livelihoodsdepend on these environments. There is in this sense a direct relationship between biologicaldiversity and cultural diversity; maintenance of the former can help preserve thelatter. The reverse is also true, since indigenous peoples are often the custodians andstewards of biological diversity, the maintenance of cultural diversity is an importantfactor in the conservation of biological diversity.” (Davis, 1998). See Mühlhäusler,1995, for further discussion of the relationship between language, culture, and biodiversity.3. As Swaminathan and Castillo (2000: xii) write: “Tribal and rural farming communitieshave a long tradition of serving as custodians of genetic wealth, particularly landracesoften carrying rare and valuable genes for traits like resistance to biotic and abioticstresses, adaptability, and nutritional quality. Several land types that carry valuablegenes are preserved by farmers for religious functions and they constitute valuablematerial for conservation and sustainable use. Women in particular have been the principalseed selectors and savers.”4. According to the Crucible II Group (2000: 9-10, citing R. Bernard):“Local and indigenous peoples who speak ancestral languages are severely threatenedby loss of sovereignty over land, resources, and cultural traditions, and the promotionof linguistic assimilation. As they become increasingly marginalised, local people186