Introduction
In a recent editorial, the editors of
Molecular Ecology and
Molecular Ecology Resources made a timely and proactive statement
of support for the “Nagoya Protocol” and the principle of
benefit-sharing (Marden et al., 2020; and reiterated in Rieseberg et
al., 2021). The 2014 “Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources
and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their
Utilization” is an international agreement to ensure that the benefits
arising from the utilization of genetic resources are shared equitably
(United Nations, 2011;
https://www.cbd.int/abs/). The journals now
encourage authors to disclose benefits generated, requesting an
affirmative “Data Accessibility and Benefit‐Sharing Statement” during
the submission process that will be published alongside accepted
articles (see:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/1365294x/homepage/forauthors.html;
Marden et al., 2020). Such acknowledgement and advocacy of Indigenous
rights and interests in biodiversity and genetic resources once again
affirms
Molecular Ecology and
Molecular Ecology Resourcesas leaders seeking the improvement of research ethics and best practice
in the fields of ecology and evolution.
In this Comment, we extend this advocacy by encouraging another step
that enables Indigenous community’s to provide their own definitions and
aspirations for access and benefit-sharing (ABS) alongside the
author’s “Data Accessibility and Benefit‐Sharing Statement”. We
contend that providing an Indigenous perspective on ABS is commensurate
with the Nagoya Protocol and would benefit Indigenous communities,
researchers, and will generate better biodiversity and conservation
outcomes. Accordingly, we introduce the Biocultural (BC) Label
Initiative – an agile system to help Indigenous communities gain
visibility within our research structures. As part of this Initiative,
we invite the research community to use Biocultural (BC), Traditional
Knowledge (TK), and Cultural Institution (CI) Notices to create spaces
for Indigenous perspectives within digital infrastructures and data
repositories.