A collaboration between the UNU-IAS (via the Traditional Knowledge Initiative), Centre for International Forestry Research, People and Plants International, Environmental Evaluation Unit of the University of Cape Town, and the Institute for Culture and Ecology, this policy brief draws from a book to be published by Earthscan in 2010. Based on several case studies, the authors conclude that, despite wide variations in cultural, economic and political conditions, experiences with NTFP law and policy are remarkably similar around the world and are characterized by common regulatory features. Important lessons include the need for better information, simplification, clarity, and consistency in NTFP policy frameworks. Recommendations of relevance to TK include: intellectual property laws should be revised to provide an enabling environment for TK protection and local NTFP industries; laws and policies requiring the fair sharing of benefits from the use of NTFPs and associated TK should be coordinated with laws relating to bulk resource trade and use, to avoid confusing and ineffectual implementation; and in cases where customary law has broken down to a significant degree, or outside commercial pressure has intensified well beyond the carrying capacity of traditional measures, governments can offer important and necessary complementary levels of regulation, but in a targeted and informed fashion, involving local-level institutions and management systems, and minimizing the costs and paperwork of compliance.

Tags: TEK  food  subsistence  environment