ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of the development of new theories and case study material in the field of the evolving global commons in plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA). The exploration of various emerging global genetic resource commons in fields such as animal genetic resources and microbial genetic resources is still in its infancy, compared to the global crop commons (Byerlee, 2010) or to the locally managed natural resource commons more generally (Ostrom, 1990). Nevertheless, the commonalities between these various forms of commons have caught the attention of a growing number of scholars and managers of common pool resources. Important common features, such as the role of social norms in complying with common rules and the presence of clearly defined boundaries, deserve to be analysed in a systematic manner with the aim of supporting the development of appropriate institutional and legal frameworks.
