ABSTRACT
Ex situ collections of biological material have an essential function in academic research on biological diversity. This chapter describes challenges of collections of genetic resources triggered by this dilemma and discusses solutions found in response. Thereby it focuses on the role of ex situ collections for academic non-commercial research. The ultimate goal of the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) system is to generate monetary or non-monetary benefits that are generated through utilization of the resources accessed and accrue to the provider of the resources, with the aim of contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. This provider-user relation regarding the benefit sharing is based on a bilateral contract. This chapter presents and analyzes two case studies in more detail: the International Plant Exchange Network (IPEN) system and the Principles framework as implemented by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
