In the light of recent events

An article from Adrie El Mohamadi, technical advisor of our ABioSA project:

Resilient Southern African Biotrade Survives COVID Challenge

How the ABS Initiative covers ABS-compliant Biotrade value chains

From the beginning, the ABS Initiative has directly supported the development of ABS-compliant value chains in Africa. We have been raising awareness on ABS among companies in the so-called provider and user countries, incorporating these actors in dialogues with other stakeholder groups, and supporting the completion of ABS agreements between users and providers of genetic resources and the associated traditional knowledge.

Due to the complexity of the ABS landscape, understanding the relevant obligations and negotiating benefit sharing agreements, the ABS Capacity Development Initiative has joined together with UEBT to provide actors involved in BioTrade with support.

UEBT (Union for Ethical BioTrade) is an independent non-profit organization, which promotes sourcing with respect for people and biodiversity in accordance with its UEBT BioTrade Standard.

In February 2018, the ABS Initiative started the project “ABS Compliant Biotrade in South(ern) Africa” (ABioSA), which is financed by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

So what do we mean by ABS compliant value chains? What is the difference between biotrade and BioTrade? What is the link between BioTrade and ABS?