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Developing Countries: Mounting Support For Trips Amendment To Protect Biodiversity
Longstanding differences on whether WTO rules should be altered to require patent applicants to disclose the use of any biological resources or associated traditional knowledge - on pain of patent revocation - featured prominently at a 13 March meeting of the WTO Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). Brazil, India, Cuba, Peru, Ecuador,…
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Climate Change: Energy-Intensive Sectors In The Spotlight
The G-8 industrialised countries, together with the major emerging economies, recently met to discuss options for tackling climate change. The idea of agreeing to sectoral targets for particularly polluting industries in all nations, a controversial concept proposed by the host, Japan, received a cool welcome. Meanwhile, a recent EU summit also addressed climate change. Several European…
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Eu, Mauritania Renegotiate Fisheries Access Agreement
The EU and Mauretania have signed a new fisheries agreement. Under the new deal, the EU will engage in significantly less fishing off Mauritania’s coast. Some of the money previously paid as access fees will be channelled back to Mauritania in the form of aid to develop the fisheries sector.The EU-Mauritania Fisheries Partnership Agreement is…
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Starbucks To Promote Rwandan Coffee
Starbucks, the international coffee chain, has announced that it will market a unique high-quality coffee from Rwanda. Rwanda is hoping development benefits will flow from this partnership, based on coffee beans that are subject to a Geographical Indication (GI). Starbucks is to source an exclusive blend of coffee, called ‘Rwanda Blue Bourbon,’ from a country in…
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Meeting Focuses On Future Of Whaling Commission
Plans to lift a ban on whaling were reportedly discussed in a closed-door meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Under the deal, nations would be allowed to resume coastal whaling. However, they would have to stop killing whales near Antarctica, which Japan currently does on ’scientific’ grounds, although the meat then is channelled to…
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World Food Prices Soar - Are Biofuels To Blame?
The rapid rise in basic food prices is being linked to biofuels production, among other drivers. Food prices rose by more than 40 percent in 2007. The main reasons include high energy prices, climate change, higher food demand and the increasing use of biofuels. According to Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme,…