Are brands doing enough to uphold the Nagoya Protocol?

Despite the efforts from some brands to support indigenous communities and knowledge, is enough being done by the industry to uphold the Nagoya Protocol?

Where wild collection of ingredients by large corporates is concerned especially, brands should act with sustainability at the forefront by focussing on preserving the biodiversity of the ingredient, rather than on securing the lowest price, according to Christian Pierron, head of procurement functional and nutritional ingredients, Naturex

“Brands should commit to procuring only sustainable products and promote this virtuous evolution to their customers. When possible, they should also finance sustainability programs in collaboration with their suppliers,” Pierron said.

Rooibos fields

While several companies are familiar with the Nagoya Protocol and are taking steps to respect national legal ABS requirements when accessing biological or genetic resources, many are still unaware of ABS principles or have the impression that they do not apply to them, said Kutsch Lojenga.

“Companies that rely on biodiversity need to establish due diligence systems to ensure that they comply with the ABS requirements of countries they rely on and access resources from and in countries where they are used, as these requirements are legally binding,” Lojenga said.

“Also, it is important for companies to be aware there is a large diversity of national approaches to ABS implementation. Therefore, while some company activities may not be covered by ABS requirements in one country, these requirements may apply in another.”

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