The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released Rs 8.22 crore to three research institutions and 33 State Biodiversity Boards and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils, marking one of the largest single access and benefit-sharing (ABS) disbursements for rice.
The amount was received from Pioneer Overseas Corporation, an international seed company, for using Indian rice (Oryza sativa) varieties to develop and commercialize hybrids. The disbursement reflects India’s commitment to ensuring fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of the country’s biological resources.
Of the total amount, Rs 2.47 crore has been released to research institutions that conserved and shared the rice varieties with the company. ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad, has received the largest share of Rs 2.43 crore, while Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Uttarakhand, has received Rs 3.26 lakh for the specific rice variety it contributed.
An amount of Rs 5.75 crore has been released to 33 state biodiversity boards and Union territory biodiversity councils based on the rice-growing area of each state and Union territory, as listed in the Unified Portal for Agricultural Statistics of the ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare. Uttar Pradesh has received the highest share of over Rs 73 lakh. States and Union territories with smaller rice-growing areas, such as Sikkim and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, have also received proportionate allocations.
The top 10 State-wise allocations are as follows: Uttar Pradesh Rs 73,26,225, West Bengal Rs 64,94,795, Telangana Rs 50,59,674, Odisha Rs 48,09,040, Chhattisgarh Rs 45,90,940, Punjab Rs 37,14,926, Bihar Rs 36,93,237, Rs Madhya Pradesh, Rs 36,16,118, Assam Rs 27,78,664, and Andhra Pradesh Rs 25,88,278.
The research institutions will utilize the funds to strengthen germplasm conservation, maintain seed collections, and support research and training. The State Biodiversity Boards and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils will use their allocations for approved conservation activities, including protection of native crop diversity, ecosystem restoration, documentation of traditional knowledge, and support for local farmers and knowledge holders.
The NBA has so far received about Rs 83 crore in ABS payments from the agriculture and seed sector alone. Across all sectors, its total ABS disbursements have crossed Rs 162 crore.
By ensuring that benefits arising from the commercial use of India’s biological resources are shared fairly with research institutions and States, the initiative contributes to Target 13 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which calls for fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources, including associated traditional knowledge.Â
It also contributes to the sustainable development goals, particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), SDG 15 (life on land), and SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals).
The National Biodiversity Authority is a statutory body established under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It regulates access to India’s biological resources and associated traditional knowledge and implements the Nagoya Protocol’s principle of fair and equitable benefit-sharing.
IndiFoodBev — authentic, impactful and influential
An English-language food and beverage processing and packaging industry B2B platform in print and web, IndiFoodBev is in its third year of publication. It is said that the Indian food and beverage industries represent approximately US$ 900 billion in revenues which implies more than 20% of the country’s GDP. Eliminating the wastage on the farmside can help to deliver more protein to a higher number of the population apart from generating sizable exports. The savings in soil, seeds, water, fertilizer, energy and ultimately food and nutrition could be the most immense contribution that country is poised to make to the moderation of climate change.
To improve your marketing and grow sales to the food and beverage processing and packaging industry, talk to us. Our research and consulting company IppStar [www.ippstar.org] can assess your potential and addressable markets in light of the competition. We can discuss marketing, communication, and sales strategies for market entry and growth.
Suppliers and service providers with a strategy and budget for targeted marketing can discuss using our hybrid print, web, video, and social media channels to create brand recognition linked to market relevance. Our technical writers are ready to meet you and your customers for content.
The second largest producer of fruit and vegetables in the world is continuously expanding processing capacities and delivery systems with appropriate innovative technologies. We cover product and consumer trends, nutrition, processing, research, equipment and packaging from farm to thali. Get our 2025 media kit and recalibrate your role in this dynamic market. Enhance your visibility and relevance to existing markets and turn potential customers into conversations. Ask for a sample copy of our bi-monthly in print or our weekly IndiFoodBev eZine each Wednesday.
For editorial info@ippgroup.in — for advertisement ads1@ippgroup.in and for subscriptions subscription@ippgroup.in
Naresh Khanna – 10 February 2025
Subscribe Now
