Biodiversity goes to market

This article from IPS investigates the Brazilian's work on the issue:

BRAZIL: Biodiversity Goes to Market
By Mario Osava

RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb 5 (IPS) - Biodiversity, like the proverbial prophet, is not without honour save in its own country: it tends to be valued more highly abroad than at home. Brazil is now trying to become an exception to the rule by commercialising its native species on a large scale.

Brazil's biodiversity reserves are the greatest in the world, but so far it has seen little hard cash in return for its natural resources. It leads the world in production or export volume of coffee, cane sugar, soya, orange juice and beef, but these are all exotic, rather than native, species.

Only a few of its native plants, not all of which are exclusive to this country, are marketed to any extent nationally and abroad: peanuts, cassava, cocoa and mahogany. (Read the full article.)