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Survey of property rights and conditions of access to genetic resources on the international level
But little control has been exercised over genetic information embedded in such material, and over
its exchange. Collection of genetic material by individual scientists, botanical gardens and gene
banks from foreign countries used to attract little attention from government agencies. Where it
did, and where approval and/or special entry visas were required, host countries generally
permitted collection missions on condition that their own scientists participated and samples of
collected material were provided for storage at a local facility.
Intellectual property protection was then of little concern. In the field of genetics it still is a
comparatively recent phenomen, which started with the introduction of plant variety protection
in some industrial countries in the 1930s, and was more recently extended by allowing regular
(utility) patent protection to life forms.
To date, international research collaboration has worked well under the free-exchange regime. An
example of successful international research cooperation has been the development of highyielding
wheat and rice varieties by CIMMYT and IRRI 4 in the 1960s. The Green Revolution
brought together the best brains in plant breeding technology and knowledge to accomplish,
without a single patent or plant breeders' right, one of the great technological breakthroughs of
modern days. No less important, its breeders were able to draw on germplasm resources from all
parts of the world, allowing their systematic utilization 5 .
Because the use of plant genetic resources was central to their crop improvement programs, the
international research centers grouped in the Consultative Group on International Agricultural
Research (CGIAR) 6 have always subscribed to a policy of free exchange of germplasm 7 .
Germplasm from their global collections of genetic material of the major food crops is freely
available to scientists anywhere in the world, public or private, who can use it without restrictions
for research or commercially. This has been the rule in their relations with partner institutions in
both developing countries where the Centers collaborate with the national research systems,
chiefly in the public sector, through which they disseminate their research products, and in
industrial countries where they draw on advanced laboratories in industry and universities for
inputs into their research programs.
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Centro International de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo (Mexico), and International Rice Research Institute
(Philippines).
For a review of the results of the Green Revolution see Anderson et al..
Established in 1971, the CGIAR is an association of countries, international and regional organizations,
and private foundations dedicated to supporting a system of agricultural research centers and programs
around the world. Sixteen centers eurrently belong to the Group.
TAC Document AGR/TAC:IAR/88/4 „CGIAR Policy on Plant Genetic Resources", Rome, February
1988.