Institut du Développement Durable et des Relations Internationales (IDDRI), FR

In international negotiations, especially on biodiversity, local ecological knowledge has been often limited to issues relating to indigenousness. Based on the concepts of heritage and the terroir, approaches have been developed in France, thus making it possible to better understand, conserve and exploit ecological knowledge and associated biodiversity.

There is an urgent need for concrete steps to foster the mutual supportiveness of the objectives embodied in the Convention on Biological Diversity and multilateral trade rules under the World Trade Organization. Intellectual property is one area of debate where such efforts could be undertaken.