On June 14th, Johanna von Braun (Natural Justice) participated in a roundtable discussion hosted by South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) in Pretoria. The roundtable focused on helping define the department’s strategy for addressing challenges posed by the regulation of bioprospecting activities within the context of trade in natural resources. The meeting brought together representatives from the DEA, the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Health, various biotrade organizations, traditional health practitioners, and civil society organizations. The meeting served as an opportunity for the DEA to get further insight into and advice about the relationships between traders in indigenous biological resources and the government’s bioprospecting regulations. Suggestions made during this discussion will serve as an input to upcoming DEA-organized conferences for traders.
