Reclaiming the Commons: In Defense of Biodiversity, Traditional Knowledge and the Rights of Mother Earth lays out the scientific, legal, political, and cultural struggle to defend the sovereignty of biodiversity and indigenous knowledge. Corporate war on nature and people through patents and Intellectual Property Rights has unleashed an epidemic of biopiracy — resulting in important legal battles fighting efforts to patent the rights to many plants, including basmati, neem, and wheat.
The author presents details of the specific attempts made by corporations to secure these patents and the legal actions taken to fight them. The book goes beyond the legal struggle to explore the Rights of Nature and propose a framework for a Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth. It is the first detailed legal history of the international and national laws related to biodiversity and Intellectual Property Rights.
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Why this book matters
- The first detailed legal history of international and national laws related to biodiversity and Intellectual Property Rights — a landmark reference for scholars, activists, and policymakers
- Documents the epidemic of biopiracy — corporate attempts to patent basmati, neem, wheat, and other plants — and the legal battles fought to stop them
- Proposes a framework for a Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth — a visionary legal and ethical step toward ecological justice
- Bridges science, law, politics, and culture in a comprehensive defense of indigenous knowledge and the sovereignty of biodiversity
- Essential reading for anyone working at the intersection of environmental justice, indigenous rights, and the global commons
