People, plants, and patents : the impact of intellectual property on biodiversity, conservation, trade, and rural society

People, Plants And Patents: The Impact Of Intellectual Property On Biodiversity, Conservation, Trade And Rural Society "The recent GATT agreement and the Biodiversity Convention have moved intellectual property rights to the centre of South-North relations. Decisions about intellectual property, particularly for plant life,have major implications for food security, agriculture, rural development,and the environment for every country in the South and the North. For the South, in particular, the impact of intellectual property on farmers, rural societies, and biological diversity will be profoundly important" People, Plants, and Patents examines intellectual property and the patenting of life forms as bluntly and as fairly as possible. People, Plants, and Patents helps to identify the major points and the rangeof policy alternatives in this extraordinarily important, fast-changing, and politicized field