Taking back their 'green gold': A blueprint for holistic national legislation regarding medicinal plants in developing countries

This thesis will attempt to provide a viable blueprint for developing countries wishing to formulate national legislation regarding their medicinal plant resources. The thesis works on the assumption that the continued misappropriation (or 'biopiracy') of these medicinal plant resources from developing countries is depriving them of possible economic benefits from these resources. One possible way to circumvent the defined problem is through the development of comprehensive national legislation by these countries. This legislation would be best implemented by a developing nation within a holistic framework which respects the overriding environmental concern of biodiversity conservation, whilst also maintaining compatability with other laws in that country. This blueprint will address both the short-term and long-term policy and substantive issues that must be dealt with by developing countries wishing to implement national legislation to regulate their medicinal plants.