The theft of biological resources is called :

The correct answer is Biopiracy.

Key Points

• Biopiracy refers to the unauthorized and unethical appropriation or commercial exploitation of biological resources and indigenous knowledge by entities, typically corporations or researchers, without proper permission or compensation to the indigenous communities or countries.
• This practice often involves the patenting of traditional knowledge and genetic resources, leading to the monopolization of these resources by the entities engaged in biopiracy.
• It undermines the sovereignty and rights of the indigenous communities who have nurtured and developed these resources over generations.
• Examples of biopiracy include the patenting of the neem tree and its products, turmeric, and certain types of basmati rice.
• International agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) aim to address biopiracy by promoting the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.

 Additional Information

• Bioprospecting
  • Bioprospecting involves the systematic search for biochemical and genetic information in nature, which can be used for commercial purposes such as developing new drugs, agricultural chemicals, or other products.
  • This process is generally conducted with the intention of benefiting the source country or community by ensuring fair compensation and benefit-sharing arrangements.
• Ecoprospecting
  • Ecoprospecting is a term often used interchangeably with bioprospecting, focusing on the exploration of natural ecosystems to discover commercially valuable biochemical and genetic resources.