5.1 Analysis of the Costs for PGRFA Conservation
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creation of institutional legal frameworks. The international costs of such activities
were calculated for "The Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and Utilization
of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture" to be a minimum of US $
150 million (FAO, 1996g). If it is calculated that there are about 3 million distinct
accessions (FAO, 1996a), which have to be conserved in ex situ as well as in in situ
surroundings, the average costs for the institutional framework per distinct
accession will be US $ 50.00 per year. These are the costs for supporting activities,
e.g., institution and capacity building and the creation of institutional legal
frameworks.
Transaction costs are generally costs for information extraction and production,
monitoring, processing, coordination as well as follow-up costs of incomplete
information, e.g., negotiation costs, enforcement costs etc. Following the above
discussion, the following transaction costs can be defined for the establishment,
running, and controlling of any exchange system for conservation and utilization of
PGRFA:
• costs for the establishment of any exchange system
• costs for negotiations (CGRFA, CBD, TRIPS, UPOV)
• costs for the running of any exchange system
• costs for search, information procurement and processing (WIEWS)
• costs for administration of mechanisms for benefit sharing
• costs for controlling exchange systems
• costs for monitoring and enforcement of liabilities 56 •
5.2
Expenditures of PGRFA Conservation at Country Level
Besides costing PGRFA conservation according to the different categories, as was
undertaken in Chapter 5.1, the costs can be estimated according to their origin.
Considering the players in the conservation activities (see Chap. 4.2), costs can
arise on farm, national and international level as well as on the level of conservation
activities in the private sector. As part of the preparatory process for the
International Technical Conference on Plant Genetic Resources in Leipzig,
countries were surveyed as to their domestic expenditure on PGRFA related
activities. The results are analyzed and discussed in this section.
" A cost analysis of molecular marker technologies to determine genetic origin, revealed running
costs per data point ranging from US $ 0.14 to US $ 1.30. In Mexico, however, costs could
reach US $ 1.72, due to higher prices for specific inputs. (Ragot and Hoisington, 1993).
115
creation of institutional legal frameworks. The international costs of such activities
were calculated for "The Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and Utilization
of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture" to be a minimum of US $
150 million (FAO, 1996g). If it is calculated that there are about 3 million distinct
accessions (FAO, 1996a), which have to be conserved in ex situ as well as in in situ
surroundings, the average costs for the institutional framework per distinct
accession will be US $ 50.00 per year. These are the costs for supporting activities,
e.g., institution and capacity building and the creation of institutional legal
frameworks.
Transaction costs are generally costs for information extraction and production,
monitoring, processing, coordination as well as follow-up costs of incomplete
information, e.g., negotiation costs, enforcement costs etc. Following the above
discussion, the following transaction costs can be defined for the establishment,
running, and controlling of any exchange system for conservation and utilization of
PGRFA:
• costs for the establishment of any exchange system
• costs for negotiations (CGRFA, CBD, TRIPS, UPOV)
• costs for the running of any exchange system
• costs for search, information procurement and processing (WIEWS)
• costs for administration of mechanisms for benefit sharing
• costs for controlling exchange systems
• costs for monitoring and enforcement of liabilities 56 •
5.2
Expenditures of PGRFA Conservation at Country Level
Besides costing PGRFA conservation according to the different categories, as was
undertaken in Chapter 5.1, the costs can be estimated according to their origin.
Considering the players in the conservation activities (see Chap. 4.2), costs can
arise on farm, national and international level as well as on the level of conservation
activities in the private sector. As part of the preparatory process for the
International Technical Conference on Plant Genetic Resources in Leipzig,
countries were surveyed as to their domestic expenditure on PGRFA related
activities. The results are analyzed and discussed in this section.
" A cost analysis of molecular marker technologies to determine genetic origin, revealed running
costs per data point ranging from US $ 0.14 to US $ 1.30. In Mexico, however, costs could
reach US $ 1.72, due to higher prices for specific inputs. (Ragot and Hoisington, 1993).