The BeneLex project aims to investigate the conceptual and practical dimensions of fair and equitable benefit-sharing, including its role and limitations in ensuring fairness and equity in the identification and allocation among different stakeholders of the advantages arising from environmental protection, the sustainable use of natural resources, and the production of knowledge.
The BeneLex project seeks to better understand the progressive development of fair and equitable benefit-sharing obligations and modalities in different areas of international environmental law (biodiversity, food and agriculture, oceans, watercourses, climate change) and their intersection with international human rights law. Equally, the BeneLex project attempts to identify challenges for indigenous peoples and local communities connected to benefit sharing in different sectors and in different regions of the world. The project includes case studies in Greece, South Africa, Namibia, Argentina and Malaysia.

Research Team

The BeneLex team, under PI Prof. Elisa Morgera, is based at Strathclyde Centre for Environmental Law and Governance in Scotland, UK. 

Research Team at the SIS

• Louisa Parks 

Events

• Global Perspectives on Fair and Equitable Benefit-Sharing" (BeneLex Workshop - October 15th-16th, 2018)

• Interview to Prof. Elisa Morgera (University of Strathclyde, UK)

Elisa Morgera, interviewed by Louisa Parks, outlines the many different areas of international law that talk about benefit-sharing and reflects on the important interlinkages between international biodiversity and international human rights law.

• Interview to Prof. Louisa R. Parks (University of Trento)

Louisa Parks, interviewed by Elsa Tsioumani, outlines findings from the BeneLex project’s local-level case studies across the globe – what are the common issues that these local communities faced when discussing and dealing with benefit-sharing? Do these common issues find any reflection in international circles?

• Interview to Dr. Elsa Tsioumani (University of Strathclyde, UK)

Elsa Tsioumani, interviewed by Elisa Morgera, outlines her research on benefit-sharing in land, food, and agriculture. She outlines her findings regarding the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and its provisions on benefit-sharing for seed exchanges between farmers that are crucial for biodiversity.

Publications

Monographs

• Tsioumani, Elsa (2020) Fair and equitable benefit-sharing in agriculture. Reinventing agrarian justice, Routledge. Open-access, available at: https://www.routledge.com/Fair-and-Equitable-Benefit-Sharing-in-Agricult...

Journal articles

• Tsioumani, Elsa ‘A Missed Opportunity for Multilateralism’ 1 Jan. 2019: Environmental Policy and Law 49 (6): 320 – 323: https://content.iospress.com/articles/environmental-policy-and-law/epl19...
• Tsioumani, Elsa ‘ Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD): Towards a Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework: A Review of the Working Group Negotiations’. Environmental Policy and Law 1 Jan. 2020 : 1 – 5. Pre-Press: https://content.iospress.com/articles/environmental-policy-and-law/epl20...

Book chapter

• Gaglia Bareli, Maria, Geelhoed, Miranda, Parks, Louisa, Morgera, Elisa, Tsioumani, Elsa, ‘The unintended consequences of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy for local communities’ in Cardwell, Paul James and Granger, Marie-Pierre (eds) Research Handbook on the Politics of EU Law, forthcoming July 2020, Edward Elgar: https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/research-handbook-on-the-politics-of-eu...