India Allocates Over Rs. 15 Crore for Biodiversity Conservation
The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has announced the disbursement of Rs. 15.52 crore derived from Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) agreements with M/s. Pioneer Overseas Corporation. This funding is a result of the company developing ten hybrid varieties of mustard (Brassica juncea) leveraging India’s rich biological resources. The allocated funds will be distributed among 26 State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) and 3 Union Territory Biodiversity Councils (UTBCs), with allocations based on the extent of mustard cultivation in each region.
Distribution Based on Cultivation Areas
The ten mustard varieties were developed by M/s. Pioneer Overseas Corporation using parental lines sourced from various market traders. As no specific farmer or community was identified as the source, the NBA formed an Expert Committee to establish how to fairly distribute ABS benefits in such scenarios. The modalities suggested by this committee received approval from the NBA, mandating that benefits from resources accessed through intermediaries be shared among the SBBs and UTBCs corresponding to their cultivation areas.
Top States Benefitting
To determine how to allocate the funds, the NBA referred to data provided by the ICAR–Indian Institute of Rapeseed-Mustard Research (ICAR-IIRMR) located in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. Rajasthan stands out as the largest beneficiary, accounting for nearly 42 percent of the nation’s mustard cultivation, receiving Rs. 6.43 crore. Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh round out the top three, with allocations of Rs. 2.28 crore and Rs. 1.86 crore respectively. The allocation breakdown is as follows:
| S.No. | State | Amount Released (Rs. in crore) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Rajasthan | 6.43 |
| 2. | Uttar Pradesh | 2.28 |
| 3. | Madhya Pradesh | 1.86 |
| 4. | Haryana | 1.21 |
| 5. | West Bengal | 1.10 |
| 6. | Jharkhand | 0.73 |
| 7. | Assam | 0.53 |
| 8. | Gujarat | 0.48 |
| 9. | Bihar | 0.15 |
| 10. | Punjab | 0.08 |
| 11. | Others | 0.67 |
Utilization of Funds
Every SBB and UTBC is required to utilize the ABS amount in accordance with Section 32 of the Biological Diversity Act. This includes activities aimed at conserving biodiversity, such as documenting and updating People’s Biodiversity Registers, restoring degraded ecosystems, and enhancing livelihoods for local communities.
This funding release is part of the NBA’s ongoing commitment under the Biological Diversity Act of 2002, which aims to ensure that a fair share of benefits derived from India’s genetic resources are returned to conservation efforts, local communities, and the states involved. This aligns with the principles outlined in the Nagoya Protocol and Target 13 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Ongoing Commitment to Biodiversity
With this latest allocation, the NBA has distributed a total of Rs. 182.5 crore in ABS proceeds thus far, including Rs. 116.22 crore over the past year alone, reinforcing its role in promoting sustainable management of India’s biodiversity.
About the National Biodiversity Authority: The NBA is a statutory body operating under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India. It plays a crucial role in regulating access to India’s biological resources and ensuring the equitable sharing of benefits, in line with compliance to bioprospecting regulations.
Observer Voice is the one stop site for National, International news, Sports, Editor’s Choice, Art/culture contents, Quotes and much more. We also cover historical contents. Historical contents includes World History, Indian History, and what happened today. The website also covers Entertainment across the India and World.
