There is a veritable gold rush mentality in the life science world as scientists, entrepreneurs and multinationals are staking claims to the code of life embodied in the world s current stock of plants, animals, microbes and human populations. In response, the communities that see themselves as the custodians of both that traditional knowledge and specific genetic resources have demanded greater recognition of their role in creating and conserving this resource, access to any resulting improvements and a share of the benefits arising from their patrimony. This has precipitated a widespread...