BIOPROSPECTING, BIODIVERSITY AND TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE: A PROPOSAL FOR AN INSTITUTIONAL MODEL FOR BRAZIL

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to present a proposal for the creation of a management institution focused on the regulation and sustainable use of biodiversity and the traditional knowledge associated with it, in the context of bioprospecting activities in Brazil. For this, the main elements that make up the bioprospecting practices were identified, with emphasis on the ecological specificities of Brazilian biomes and the sociocultural diversity of the peoples who hold traditional knowledge, both indigenous and non-indigenous. In order to structure a coherent analytical framework, the economic characteristics of bioprospecting were examined in the light of the Economics of Transaction Costs, highlighting the challenges inherent to the formalization of contracts and the coordination between multiple actors. The analysis demonstrated the need to create intermediary institutions and state mechanisms capable of mediating and enabling these interactions, promoting greater institutional efficiency and socio-productive inclusion. As the main contribution, the study proposes the design of an institutional model aimed at the governance of biodiversity and associated traditional knowledge, with a view to guiding bioprospecting practices in Brazil in an equitable and sustainable way.