Is Nature’s DNA Being Stolen? The Battle Over Biopiracy

Is the global north exploiting nature’s genetic treasures from the global south without paying a dime? The battle over biopiracy raises this uncomfortable question.

The silent extraction of genetic data from the biodiversity-rich global south has sparked a fierce debate over the ethics of biopiracy. As companies like Basecamp Research harvest genetic material from remote locations, this information is transformed into digital sequences that feed AI models, leading to lucrative discoveries without compensation to the source nations.

The upcoming global biodiversity summit in Colombia will attempt to address this issue, yet tensions run high. Nations rich in biodiversity, but poor in wealth, demand a share of the profits from the natural resources that are integral to groundbreaking medical and environmental innovations.

While companies enjoy free access to these digital sequences, the affected countries are left questioning: who truly benefits from nature’s bounty? The debate now centers on whether global agreements can balance commercial interests with fair compensation—or will biopiracy continue unchecked?

Read the full article on The Guardian.

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