Biodiversity Conference and Digital Colonization

CBD, COP16, DSI and AI

The 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) was held from October 21 to November 01, 2024 in Cali, Colombia. From my participation in this conference, I understood that the Convention on Biological Diversity is no longer contributing effectively to the conservation of biodiversity. Currently, multinational companies, led by Japan, are engaged in a massive international effort to legalize the appropriation of genetic resources and traditional knowledge belonging to people.

At the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity held on October 29, 2010 in Nagoya, Japan, the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization was adopted. At this conference, the issues related to access and benefit-sharing of genetic resources were extensively discussed. In addition, it was observed that companies are making tremendous efforts to appropriate genetic resources and traditional knowledge of indigenous and local communities, based on Article 8(j) of the Convention on Biological Diversity, which deals with the use of traditional knowledge, innovations and practices.

In this context, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Sequence Information on Genetic Resources (DSI) for the development of new products is a growing focus of multinational companies, including in the pharmaceutical and agricultural sectors. It was evident throughout the conference that these companies are making greater efforts to create future economic strategies based on these new technologies.

In the future, multinational companies may use digital sequence information on genetic resources and artificial intelligence to create new life forms. The diverse sculptures of Jaguares created throughout the conference venue seem to provide a clue about this future where life forms are created using genetic technology and artificial intelligence.

In the near future, the massive gene theft and appropriation of traditional knowledge from biodiverse countries like ours, through patent rights based on these technologies, can lead to a severe market monopolization of the agriculture and health sectors. This can be considered a new form of “Digital Colonialism”.

To defeat this, it is necessary to comprehend these issues correctly and build a widespread peasant-farmer movement against the corporate takeover of agricultural biodiversity and associated traditional knowledge. This is essential to prevent the dangerous attempt of multinational companies to monopolize agricultural and pharmaceutical sectors through these new technologies.

Furthermore, it is important to make the incumbent governments aware of the significance of ratifying the Nagoya Protocol, which has not been done by our country so far.

Sajith Chamika
Movement for Land and Agriculture Reform