Rights to Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

At the background of the inquiry into the creation of rights to animal genetic resources lie different strands of thinking and various lines of arguments. These are fueled by three major developments in the AnGR sector: the increasing volume in trade in animal products; the scientific progress in animal breeding with the advances in genetic engineering; and the so-called erosion of animal genetic resources. The World Trade Institute of the University of Bern, which has previously deepened the studies on the question of rights to plant genetic resources and traditional knowledge in the international trading system, took up these issues. One year after the adoption of the Animal Genetic Resources Global Plan of Action by the International Technical Conference on Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (AnGRFA), it gathered a pool of experts to discuss the interface of AnGRFA, international trade and property rights. The result of this exchange is at the centre of this report