Introduction

The creation and promotion of markets in biodiversity-based products creates important indirect incentives for conservation and sustainable use of components of biodiversity. Examples include, inter alia, individual transferable fishing quotas and other property right-based mechanisms, biodiversity prospecting, and the commercialization of medicinal plants or other biodiversity-based products, possibly including the use of certification or eco-labeling.

Overview of CBD Activities

Several decisions of the Conference of the Parties pertain to the implementation or improvement of markets for biodiversity resources as indirect incentive measures for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. At its forth meeting, the Conference of the Parties encouraged, Parties, Governments and international organizations to undertake value addition and enhancement of naturally occurring genetic resources, based on the participatory approach. The programme of work on incentive measures, adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its fifth meeting, also includes the development of methods to promote information on biodiversity in consumer decisions, for instance through ecolabelling, if appropriate.

The Proposals for the Design and Implementation of Incentive Measures, endorsed by the Conference of the Parties at its sixth meeting, recognize market creation to be an instrument for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.