Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff this month signed legislation aimed at cutting red tape for bioprospecting and for benefit-sharing contracts involving genetic resources. But environmental and human rights groups worry that genetic-resources providers—typically agricultural cooperatives and rainforest dwellers engaged in sustainable production—will gain far less under the new law than companies that conduct bioprospecting. The law, which the Environment Ministry has called the most important legislation on its agenda this year, was first approved in February by the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Congress. (See “Brazil poised to pass genetic-resources law”—EcoAméricas, March ’15.) The Senate passed the bill with amendments and sent the new version back to the lower house for final approval, which occurred on April 27... [Log in to read more]