Biopiracy: The Plunder of Nature and Knowledge

Biopiracy refers to the unethical or unlawful appropriation and commercial exploitation of biological materials, such as medicinal plant extracts, native to a specific country or territory. This practice involves taking these resources without providing fair financial compensation to the people or government of that country.1

Vandana Shiva, in her book Biopiracy: The Plunder of Nature and Knowledge, argues that global corporations often appropriate the biological wealth of poorer countries. She contends that these corporations fail to seek consent from the host countries or share profits, amounting to biological theft. Shiva highlights how such practices can lead to the loss of indigenous seed diversity and traditional knowledge, while also creating dependence on costly chemicals and patented seeds, which prevents farmers from saving seeds for future harvests.2