IMPACTS OF THE LEGISLATION ON ETHNOBOTANIC RESEARCH IN BRAZIL, WITH EMPHASIS ON THE AMAZON REGION

Abstract

The Amazon region has a large sociobiodiversity, where lives people with traditional knowledge about the uses of its natural resources. The Conven­tion on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992 recognized the autonomy of each nation over its genetic resources and the rights of traditional populations about the knowledge of the use of these natural resources. In 2001 it was published the law M.P. 2.186-16/2001 which created the Conselho Nacional de Gestão do Patrimônio Genético (CGEN) and the first rules about access to genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge in Brazil. Since his creation, the actions of CGEN have received criticism from various sectors, both private and public, and, unlike its initial proposal, has become one of the main obstacles of ethnobotanical studies, the bureaucracy, the long pro­cess analysis and communication difficulties with this organ. Keywords: law, biodiversity, access to genetic resources, traditional knowledge, ethnobotany, Amazon.