The Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Ms Edna Molewa will on Friday, 27 July 2012 officially award seven Bioprospecting permits to different organisations to engage in Bioprospecting activities at an event to be held in Komaggas, Northern Cape. At the award ceremony, the Minister will also launch South Africa’s Bioprospecting, Access and Benefit Sharing Regulatory Framework: Guidelines for users, providers and regulators.
The guidelines document that will be launched will act as a primary tool in assisting users, providers, and regulators of indigenous biological resources and their associated traditional knowledge in understanding the legal requirements and their rights in terms of the Bioprospecting, Access and Benefit Sharing Regulations. This is a further demonstration of the role of biodiversity economy in improving livelihoods especially for rural communities.
The Regulations for Bioprospecting, Access and Benefit Sharing came into effect on 1 April 2008 and thus far the department has issued eight Bioprospecting permits of which the first was officially handed over in 2010. The eighth permit will be awarded to Rapitrade 670 (Pty) Ltd for the extraction and purification of Galenia Africana, better known as kraalbos, a herb found predominantly in the Northern Cape.
Kraalbos will be used in the extraction and purification of chemical compounds for use in the agro-food chemical and pharmaceutical markets. As per the regulations for Bioprospecting, Access and Benefit Sharing, the community of Komaggas will benefit in both monetary and non-monetary forms from the commercialisation of their traditional knowledge of Kraalbos. Communities from other parts of the country benefiting from other Bioprospecting permits issued thus far will also be represented at the event.
Media are invited to the bioprospecting permits hand over event. Please RSVP by no later than Wednesday, 25 July 2012 at 12h00.
Date: Friday, 27 July 2012
Venue: Komaggas Community Hall, 1538 Skool Street, Komaggas, Namakwa District Municipality, Northern Cape Province
Time: 10h00 – 13h00
To RSVP contact:
Banele Mabena
Tel: 012 395 1607
E-mail: SMabena@environment.gov.za
Madimetja Mogotlane
Tel: 012 395 1770
E-mail: mmogotlane@environment.gov.za
Nthabiseng
Tel: 012 395 3078
E-mail: GMoroane@environment.gov.za
For media queries contact:
Albi Modise
Cell: 083 490 2871
