The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has disbursed close to Rs. 3.79 crore as Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) to 33 State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils (UTBCs), the ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) and through the Haryana State Biodiversity Board to the Hisar Bovine Sperm Station and Research Centre. 

The release covers a diverse range of India's agrobiodiversity, including tomato, chilli, brinjal, cauliflower, watermelon, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, okra, mustard seed varieties and deep-frozen Sahiwal cattle semen. The ABS amount was realised from companies including M/s Bayer Science and Innovation Pvt. Ltd., M/s HM Clause India Pvt. Ltd. and M/s Advanta Enterprises Limited for accessing vegetable and oilseed genetic resources for research and commercial utilisation. 

In addition, an ABS amount arose from the Department of Animal Production and Health, Government of Sri Lanka, for access to Sahiwal cattle semen. India's ABS framework, implemented under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and aligned with the Nagoya Protocol, ensures equitable benefit sharing when biological resources are accessed by users from other countries. As companies had accessed biological resources through markets, traders or intermediaries, the original source of access could not be identified. In such cases, the NBA adopted the benefit-sharing modalities prepared by an Expert Committee and approved by the Authority. 

The ABS amount was disbursed proportionately among the SBBs and UTBCs of the States and Union Territories where the respective crops are cultivated, using cultivation-area data published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. The details of biological resources and ABS amount released to beneficiaries are given below:
 

The largest share of the ABS amount was released to the following States, reflecting their significant contribution to the cultivation of the respective crops:

The recipient SBBs and UTBCs are required to utilise these funds for activities such as preparation and updating People's Biodiversity Registers, in-situ and ex-situ conservation of biodiversity, strengthening of Biodiversity Heritage Sites, capacity building of Biodiversity Management Committees, and socio-economic development of local communities. This ensures that benefits arising from the commercial use of India's biological resources are reinvested in biodiversity conservation and community welfare.
 

These releases reaffirm India's commitment to implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, particularly Target 13 on the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources and Target 4 on conserving genetic diversity. The initiative also contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). 

With cumulative ABS disbursements by the NBA now exceeding Rs. 166 crore, each release further strengthens the link between biodiversity conservation, scientific research and the livelihoods of the communities that conserve India's rich biological resources.
 

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VM/GS