Part of the processes in the manufacturing of baobab products ⎮ Photo: © Hartmut Meyer, GIZ

The fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilisation of biological resources, aka biological resourcse, is one of the three goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). However, while the other two goals of the CBD, namely the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components has been in the spotlight of international discussions for a long time, the implementation of access and benefit sharing (ABS) has not received a great deal of attention. And not much data exists to which extent benefits have been shared with the providers of the genetic resources such as, for example, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IP&LCs). More recently, during CBD CoP15 and CoP16, it was agreed upon to increase the sharing of benefits as well as to ensure indigenous voices are integral to biodiversity governance. In this context, access und benefit sharing is seen as an instrument, often regulated by law, which fosters sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity and enables economic growth at the local level and the creation of value chains.

It is, thus, high time for mainstreaming access und benefit sharing to foster this local economic growth and support an enabling environment for its successful implementation at a broader national level. This means access und benefit sharing should be integrated into laws, by-laws, guidelines, policies, strategies and action plans of line ministries (trade, economy, etc.) as well as sectoral ministries (agriculture and forestry, health, etc.) of a country. At the same time, IP&LCs and other local players need to be aware of the opportunities Access und Benefit Sharing can provide and to be trained and integrated in value chains based on biodiversity.

To support this process of mainstreaming and strengthening the enabling environment for access and benefit sharing implementation, the ABS Capacity Development Initiative and BioInnovation Africa in collaboration with the Secretariats of the CBD and the FAO International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), the Commission of the African Union, UNEP, and GEF conducted a pan-African workshop in Saly, Senegal in February 2025. It was hosted by the national Ministry of the Environment and Ecological Transition (METE).

The pan-African workshop

The Pan-African Workshop: Supporting an Enabling Environment for ABS and Biotrade brought together African National ABS, CBD and ITPGRFA focal points, as well as representatives of African and European private sector entities, African IP&LCs and agencies supporting international development cooperation.

One key objective of the workshop was to support public and business partners in elaborating national and regional approaches to effectively achieve an increase in the sharing of benefits based on the utilisation of genetic resources. This also included the identification of solutions to encounter capacity needs of public and non-public actors, including IP&LCs when valorising these resources and support biodiversity-based value chains.

Based on the contributions of the speakers and the discussions during the workshop, an enabling environment to mainstream access und benefit sharing requires the:

• Involvement of all actors and enhanced stakeholder consultation along the ABS-value chains as well as the involvement of authorities overseeing these stakeholders
• Integration of access und benefit sharing in the national planning processes and the alignment with sectoral policies as well as the use of synergies with other existing instruments, such as the ITPGRFA
• Strengthening of national legal, political, and institutional structures for biodiversity as well as their administrative capacity.
• Improved joint conservation efforts
• Integration of Access und Benefit Sharing in the key document that reports on progress regarding the Global Biodiversity Framework: the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP)

Participants of the pan-African workshop at a field trip. The diverse group of experts exchanged knowledge on biodiversity-based value chains, conservation and sustainable use, which helped connect the various stakeholders. ⎮ Photo: © Hartmut Meyer, GIZ

In this context, the valorisation of genetic resources, undertaken in a multi-stakeholder approach offers a key opportunity to use and conserve biodiversity and share the benefits across multiple sectors, ensuring inclusive participation, also by the local players such as SM(M)Es and, in particular IP&LCs.

A joint valorisation offers opportunities for awareness raising, capacity building, and fostering mutual understanding. It can help identifying support mechanisms for financing, enhance transparency and monitoring, and inform government decisions-makers and institutions. The valorisation of these resources can be implemented across multiple sectors, including pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, cosmetics, botanicals, biotechnology, and agriculture.

During the pan-African workshop, the cross-country African Baobab Alliance was presented as a successful sectoral approach of joint valorisation of this unique tree.  During a field to trip to processors of Baobab products, the role of biodiversity-based supply chains for conservation was highlighted. Baobab trees are essential to the dry African savanna ecosystem as they keep soil conditions humid and are an important habitat providing a source of water, food and shelter for animals. They slow soil erosion with their massive root systems. The incentive of an economic use of these trees has led to their sustainable use so that the transformation into agriculturally used land can be avoided. The selection of Baobab being an excellent example of sustainable biodiversity-based value chains was also based on the SNRD Africa Regional Conference in Senegal in 2023, during which a field trip was made to a baobab processing factory. This was the beginning of more consolidated activities on baobab within GIZ, in particular in Senegal, where the project “Invest for Jobs” now offers training and capacity development to local Baobab processors.

In addition, an exhibition of products of Baobab and other plants was organised and the African Baobab Alliance was integrated in the workshop providing a positive example on the collaboration of stakeholders of all relevant sectors, that means representatives of providers, traders, processors, researchers and governments.

Conclusion and lessons learnt

Integrating access und benefit sharing and biotrade into NBSAPs requires aligning policies with national frameworks, engaging all stakeholders, and addressing administrative and financial constraints.

Valorisation offers a key opportunity to mainstream biotrade and access und benefit sharing across multiple sectors, but challenges such as inconsistent legal frameworks and limited information require stronger private sector involvement, industry-wide agreements, and integration of conservation efforts into business strategies. A whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach is essential for developing a sustainable value chain.

Additional information

abs-biotrade.info

Contact

Ullrich Klins, Multi Donor Initiative Capacity Development für Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS Initiative), Ullrich.klins@giz.de