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3.1 The Political Economy of Bioprospecting
The film Medicine Man was inspired by a new wave of bioprospecting that took off
in the early 1990s as a strategy for developing medicines. The search for biological
material for all kinds of human uses is probably as old as humanity and an aspect
of social development in all societies. The great European voyages of discovery
aimed not just to explore the globe and conquer the world, but also to acquire
knowledge of natural resources that could be used to produce food, medicines,
building materials and other essentials. Botanical gardens and zoos systematized
specimens collected, which created a basis for economic exploitation (Foucault
1970; Parry 2000). The Kenyan social scientist Calestous Juma (1989) points out
that such collections, along with the development of technologies and institutions
using them, comprised an essential though overlooked role in the economic growth
of the colonial powers.
In other words, the pharmaceutical industry’s focus on bioprospecting from the
1990s was a continuation of an old activity. For decades, pharmaceutical industry
had focused on more chemically oriented strategies, but new technology again
made it interesting and potentially profitable to turn to nature as a starting point
for developing modern medicines. Moreover, new property rights associated with
biological building blocks made bioprospecting more attractive. Therefore, in the
1990s, all major global pharmaceutical companies became involved in bioprospect. Photo 3.1 In the film
Medicine Man, the relationship
between the bioprospector Dr.
Campbell and local people is
presented as harmonious as well
as problematic. (Credit:
CINERGI/COLUMBIA/
TRI-STAR//O’NEILL, TERRY/
Album)
Chapter 3 · Discourses and Narratives on Environment and Development: The Example…
3
3.1 The Political Economy of Bioprospecting
The film Medicine Man was inspired by a new wave of bioprospecting that took off
in the early 1990s as a strategy for developing medicines. The search for biological
material for all kinds of human uses is probably as old as humanity and an aspect
of social development in all societies. The great European voyages of discovery
aimed not just to explore the globe and conquer the world, but also to acquire
knowledge of natural resources that could be used to produce food, medicines,
building materials and other essentials. Botanical gardens and zoos systematized
specimens collected, which created a basis for economic exploitation (Foucault
1970; Parry 2000). The Kenyan social scientist Calestous Juma (1989) points out
that such collections, along with the development of technologies and institutions
using them, comprised an essential though overlooked role in the economic growth
of the colonial powers.
In other words, the pharmaceutical industry’s focus on bioprospecting from the
1990s was a continuation of an old activity. For decades, pharmaceutical industry
had focused on more chemically oriented strategies, but new technology again
made it interesting and potentially profitable to turn to nature as a starting point
for developing modern medicines. Moreover, new property rights associated with
biological building blocks made bioprospecting more attractive. Therefore, in the
1990s, all major global pharmaceutical companies became involved in bioprospect. Photo 3.1 In the film
Medicine Man, the relationship
between the bioprospector Dr.
Campbell and local people is
presented as harmonious as well
as problematic. (Credit:
CINERGI/COLUMBIA/
TRI-STAR//O’NEILL, TERRY/
Album)
Chapter 3 · Discourses and Narratives on Environment and Development: The Example…