There is a veritable gold rush mentality in the life science world as scientists, entrepreneurs and multinationals are staking claims to the ‘code of life’ embodied in the world’s current stock of plants, animals, microbes and human populations.

This edited volume explores the legal, economic and political context for the debate about intellectual property rights for traditional knowledge and genetic resources and critically analyses the theory and practice of access and benefits sharing efforts around the world. The book also investigates the current flashpoints – the David and Goliath battle between Monsanto and Percy Schmeiser over farmers’ rights; the dispute over coexistence of GM and organic production; and the ownership and control of human genetic materials stored in human gene banks around the world.