New deal for biodiversity from using nature’s genetic information

On "02/11/2024", the "Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affair" issued an update regarding "New deal for biodiversity from using nature’s genetic information".

The negotiations on Digital Sequence Information (DSI) have concluded at CBD COP16 in Cali, Colombia. DSI is genetic information that has been sequenced from the natural world and made available online for use in research, with benefits such as developing vaccines and adapting plants to climate change.

This deal includes a new fund called the Cali Fund, which will support further use of DSI and conservation of nature, with a significant proportion flowing to Indigenous People and local communities. The UK government will now work with industry on developing a voluntary mechanism for businesses to contribute to this fund if they use genetic information from nature.