ABS Benefit-Sharing Contributions Fuel Biodiversity Conservation
The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has realised ₹2.40 crore under the ABS benefit-sharing contributions framework in the past 45 days. The funds were collected from ten applications submitted by entities in the seed, animal feed, and cosmetic sectors for research and commercial use of biological resources.
Major Contributors and Utilised Biological Resources
The contributions were generated from a variety of agricultural biological resources, including rice, onion, bitter gourd, mustard, cotton, bottle gourd, brinjal, chilli, cucumber, okra, ridge gourd, tomato, and seaweed. A significant portion of ₹2.30 crore was contributed by Pioneer Overseas Corporation for commercial use of mustard and rice hybrids. Other contributors include East West Seeds India Pvt. Ltd., Advanta Enterprises Ltd., Tokita Seed India Pvt. Ltd., Avalo Inc, and Sea6 Energy Pvt. Ltd.. These resources are utilised for developing agro-based products, including improved and hybrid seed varieties, significantly boosting the agro-economy.
Supporting Grassroots Communities and Livelihoods
Under the ABS benefit-sharing contributions system, proceeds are shared with local communities, farmers, Biodiversity Management Committees, and institutions that provided parental seed lines. The mechanism encourages sustainable biodiversity use while enhancing grassroots livelihoods.
Simplified Procedures Encourage Compliance
In recent years, NBA has streamlined procedures to make compliance easier for companies while protecting community interests. The seed sector has emerged as a leading contributor under the ABS framework, although NBA encourages participation from all sectors in biodiversity conservation.
Cumulative Achievements of NBA
The NBA has already collected ₹3.42 crore from the seed sector in the current financial year 2025-26. With the latest contribution, the cumulative ABS benefit-sharing contributions realised by the NBA have surpassed ₹266 crore (approximately $29 million), with ₹83 crore coming from the seed sector alone.
India’s Global Commitments and National Targets
These efforts align with India’s obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol on ABS, contributing to National Biodiversity Targets and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, particularly Target-13, which emphasises legislative measures for ABS mechanisms.