project home     |      public disclosure of SES documents   |     submit a complaint to the project GRM   |      get in touch

PROJECT OVERVIEW

South Africa is a megadiverse country, and this diversity is expressed in terms of species richness and endemism. The conservation and sustainable use of South Africa's biological diversity is strategically crucial for the country. So is the maintenance of ecosystem services-now and into the future. This species richness and its associated genetic diversity prove an essential basis for economic growth and development, which underpins the well-being of society. Under the leadership of the Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa launched in 2015 its National Biodiversity Economy Strategy (NBES). The strategy is concerned with supporting the development of businesses and economic activities that either directly depend on biodiversity for their core business or contribute to conserving biodiversity through their activities. An essential segment of the NBES is bioprospecting and, under it, biotrade.

GEF- 6 FUNDED PROJECT

The South African Government, through the DFFE, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme-Country Office, are implementing the Global Environment Facility (GEF) 6 funded project, which is aligned to achieving the objectives of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing, and the draft NBES.

PROJECT OBJECTIVE

Strengthening value chains for products derived from indigenous plants’ genetic resources in view of contributing to the equitable sharing of benefits and conservation of biodiversity. This objective is with a strong focus on transformation in the bioprospecting value chain as well as improved recognition of the role of traditional knowledge in value chains and ecological sustainability.

PROJECT COMPONENTS + OUTPUTS

ACHIEVEMENT OF PROJECT OBJECTIVE

The project objective has been proposed to be achieved via three technical project outcomes and one dissemination of project lessons outcome. Each project outcome has a variety of project outputs.

COMPONENT 1

OUTPUT 1.1: » AFRICAN GINGER RESEARCH and DEVELOPMENT

OUTPUT 1.2: » NORTHERN CAPE BIOPROSPECTING RESEARCH and DEVELOPMENT HUB

COMPONENT 2

OUTPUT 2.1: » PELARGONIUM SIDOIDES BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT PLAN

OUTPUT 2.2: » ALOE FEROX HARVESTING, PROCESSING and TRADING HUB

OUTPUT 2.3: » HONEYBUSH SMALL GRANT FUND

OUTPUT 2.4: » ROOIBOS ABS STRENGTHENING

COMPONENT 3

OUTPUT 3.1: » NATIONAL REGISTRATION SYSTEM

OUTPUT 3.2: » NATIONAL BIOTRADE STANDARD and CERTIFICATION

COMPONENT 4

» PROJECT RISK MANAGEMENT

VISION OVER REALISATION OF PROJECT OBJECTIVE

It is envisioned that the realisation of the project objective will eventually lead to the following changes:

To be sure the project manages all negative risks, the project has implemented a comprehensive risk identification and management plan to maximize social and environmental opportunities and benefits as well as ensure that adverse social and environmental risks and impacts are avoided, minimised, mitigated and managed.The UNDP/GEF6 project risk management framework upholds five project principles ensure positive social and environmental impacts in the project target communities and landscape:

PRINCIPLE 1: leave no one behind. | PRINCIPLE 2: human rights. | PRINCIPLE 4: sustainability. | PRINCIPLE 5: accountability.

Through supporting the objectives of the Nagoya Protocol on access and benefit sharing, the project by design implements a variety of activities that safeguard indigenous knowledge and indigenous communities' rights to access biological resources. Towards achieving these objectives, and remaining true to the principles described above, the project has implemented a comprehensive safeguards management plan in line with both national and international guidelines and policies. The objective of which is to develop, initiate and manage an adaptive social and environmental risk management process. The resulting safeguards are inclusive of an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) and environmental and social management plan (ESMP) and stakeholder engagement plan (SEP) with associated annexures.