World Federation for Culture Collections

WORLD FEDERATION FOR CULTURE COLLECTIONS (WFCC) WORKSHOP

THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF MICROBIAL GENETIC RESOURCES

updated on October 14th, 1998

At the Eighth International Symposium on Microbial Ecology
http://www.glinx.com/isme8/
Halifax, Canada, August 12th 1998>

A report of the Halifax meeting
List of all the participants

The WFCC Executive Board and the Committee for Biodiversity are planning the above workshop as part of the on-going activities to resolve some of the uncertainties and develop procedures for the distribution of ex-situ Microbial Genetic Resources (MGRs) within the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Following the international workshop at the Eighth International Congress for Culture Collections held in Veldhoven, Netherlands (August 1996), an Information Document on Access to Ex-situ Microbial Genetic Resources within the Framework of the CBD was finalized and has been widely distributed. It is available from the WFCC Web Site (http://wdcm.nig.ac.jp/wfcc/wfcc.html) or as hard copy from the WFCC Secretary (alan.doyle@camr.org.uk). This document was summarized and distributed at Third Conference of the Parties to the CBD (Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 1996) by the CBD Secretariat as an Information Document (UNEP/CBD/COP/3/Inf.19).

In continuing discussions on the implementation of the CBD at the microbial level, the question frequently arises as to the economic value of microbial genetic resources, both in-situ and ex-situ. It is not difficult to draw attention to the clear value of microorganisms producing antibiotics, fine chemicals and other biotechnological products. Similarly, the general value of microorganisms in essential degradation, in the food chain and also in food production (bread, fermented beverages) is abundantly clear.

However, the economic value has not yet been estimated in monetary terms. As a result, it is difficult to assess the priorities that should be afforded to microorganisms in conservation programs and to assign values that should be attached to potential industrial strains for royalty and licensing purposes and the development of material transfer agreements and benefit sharing.

Moreover, the value of the services delivered by the ex-situ collections to the international scientific community and to society requires an economic assessment to provide policy makers with the information needed for sustainable support. This is an important gap in current knowledge that the workshop will help to resolve.

The workshop will be a one-day event, taking place on the Wednesday of the ISME-8 Conference. The aim of the workshop is to bring environmental economists and microbiologists/culture collection experts together to discuss the economic issues involved and possible developments.

The WFCC greatfully acknowledges the support of the European Union's Biotechnology Directorate (DGXII), The Organization of the American States (OAS) and Health Canada.

Key issues for consideration during the presentations and final discussions

We will meet at the Halifax World Trade and Convention Center
Mariner Room 2/3 from 8:30 to 17:30 hrs, August 12, 1998

08:30	REGISTRATION
09:00	WELCOME AND OVERVIEW WFCC: Its Present Activitis and Plans for the Millennium, V.Canhos CBD Developments, C.Takase
09:30	ECONOMIC VALUE OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY Chair: B Kirsop, (UK), Co-chair: D.K.Song, (China) Value of in-situ microbial diversity, J Staley, US Value of microbial diversity for biotechnological applications, J.C. Hunter-Cevera, US
10:30	COFFEE
11:00	ECONOMIC VALUE OF EX-SITU COLLECTIONS Chair: L.Sly, Australia, Co-chair: V.Canhos Views of Service Collections: E. Stackebrandt, DSMZ, Germany The Economic Value of Microbial Diversity Information, L. Blaine, ATCC, US The View of International Depositary Authorities under the Budapest Treaty, D. Fritze, WFCC Patents ctee/DSMZ Germany Global Economic Value of the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis and a Living International Culture Collection (INVAM), J.Morton, INVAM, US
12:00	DISCUSSION chaired by L.Sly and V.Canhos
12:30	LUNCH
13:30	APPROACHES TO ASSESSING VALUE AND PROMOTING INCENTIVES Chair: C.Takase, CBD Secretariat; Co-chair: J.Staley Economic Valuation of Microbial Diversity - Is it worth it?, A. Artuso, US An Economic Analysis of the Convention on Biological Diversity: Access and Rents, Joseph Vogel, Ecuador
14:30	THE VALUE OF MICROORGANISMS AND GENOMIC INFORMATION Chair: D. Van der Mei, Netherlands; Co-chair: H.Sugawara, Japan Economics of Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Agriculture, Heitor Coutinho, Brazil Biodiversity, Bioprospecting and Combinatorial Biomolecule Discovery, E.Mathur, Diversa Co., US Microorganisms and the development of bioindustries in Japan, S.Sumida, Japan
15:30	TEA
15:45	INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES AND PLANS (Valuation, Access/ Equitable Sharing and Bioprospecting) Chair: A.Doyle, UK The Biotrade Initiative, UNCTAD The Revision of the FAO International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture: Present Status and Future Perspectives, Marcio de Miranda Santos Code of Conduct for Acessing MGR's, MOSAICC project How to assess the value of ex-situ microbial resources: the WDCM database as an information resource, H.Sugawara, Japan
16:45	PLENARY DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Chair: B.Kirsop ; Co-chair: J.Hunter-Cevera, US

List of Participants

Registration to the Workshop

In order to participate in this workshop at ISME-8, you must contact GEMS Registration, preferably by email to ensure quick processing, at one of the addresses below. Please note that this workshop is conducted concurrently with the other workshops and excursions on the Wednesday. This means that if you have already booked a workshop or excursion, you will have to cancel your booking in order to attend this workshop. Please remember to include your registration number when contacting GEMS Registration.

GEMS Registration, 5 Beck's Way, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, B2V 2C3
Phone: (902)434-3643, Fax: (902)462-8135, E-mail: gems@netcom.ca