A company sells 500 kg of a medicine that it makes from a plant that a community has used for…

Biopiracy is the use of bio-resources by multinational companies and other organisations without proper authorisation from the countries and people concerned, and without compensatory payment. Developing countries are rich in biodiversity and traditional knowledge. In 1997 an American company obtained a patent on a basmati rice that was derived from varieties of Indian farmers. Neem and turmeric are other examples of attempts to patent uses, products and processes based on plants that are used by farmers and communities.