Policy in practice: How to “do” the Nagoya Protocol: common misconceptions, challenges and best practices for access and benefit-sharing compliance

Davide  Faggionato; Melania  Muñoz-García ,; Tanja Kostic; Mariana L  Ferrari; Pascale  Vonaesch; Mathilde  Poyet; Perrine  Portier; Matthew J. Ryan; Djamila Djeddour; Cornelia Stumptner; Giovanna Cristina  Varese; Aurora Zuzuarregui; Mathiieu Groussin; Michael Schloter; Robert D. Finn; Aylin S.  Haas; Ian Probert; Gerard Verkley; Jörg Overmann; Amber H.  Scholz

doi:10.1093/sumbio/qvag007

Policy in practice: How to “do” the Nagoya Protocol: common misconceptions, challenges and best practices for access and benefit-sharing compliance

Davide Faggionato
, Melania Muñoz-García ,
, Tanja Kostic
, Mariana L Ferrari
, Pascale Vonaesch
, Mathilde Poyet
, Perrine Portier
, Matthew J. Ryan
, Djamila Djeddour
, Cornelia Stumptner
, Giovanna Cristina Varese
, Aurora Zuzuarregui
, Mathiieu Groussin
, Michael Schloter
, Robert D. Finn
, Aylin S. Haas
, Ian Probert
, Gerard Verkley
, Jörg Overmann
, Amber H. Scholz

Bioresources

Leibniz-Institut DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH
Université Paris Cité
University of Lausanne
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU)
Microbial Resource Research Infrastructure – European Research Infrastructure Consortium (MIRRI-ERIC)
Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI)
Institut of Technical Physics, Universität Graz
Helmholtz Zentrum München - Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt (GmbH)
European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI)
Sorbonne Université
Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The Nagoya Protocol establishes an international framework for access-and-benefit-sharing (ABS) including for microbial research. Yet many microbiologists have only a vague understanding of what the NP requires and are unsure how to navigate its complexities, despite the fact that non-compliance can have significant legal consequences and far-reaching reputational and legal impacts. This paper discusses common misconceptions and practical challenges that microbiologists may encounter when complying with the Nagoya Protocol and a step-by-step guide on how to “do” the Nagoya Protocol. We present three case studies to showcase real-life experiences and provide best practice principles for access-and-benefit-sharing while fostering biodiversity conservation, equitable collaboration, and sustainable innovation.

Original language	English
Journal	Sustainable Microbiology
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/sumbio/qvag007
Publication status	Published - 18 Feb 2026

Research Field

Exploration of Biological Resources

Access to Document

10.1093/sumbio/qvag007Licence: Unspecified

Cite this

Faggionato, D., Muñoz-García ,M., Kostic, T., Ferrari , M. L., Vonaesch , P., Poyet, M., Portier , P., Ryan, M. J., Djeddour, D., Stumptner, C., Varese, G. C., Zuzuarregui, A., Groussin, M., Schloter, M., Finn, R. D., Haas, A. S., Probert, I., Verkley, G., Overmann, J., & Scholz, A. H. (2026). Policy in practice: How to “do” the Nagoya Protocol: common misconceptions, challenges and best practices for access and benefit-sharing compliance. Sustainable Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.1093/sumbio/qvag007

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title = "Policy in practice: How to “do” the Nagoya Protocol: common misconceptions, challenges and best practices for access and benefit-sharing compliance",

abstract = "The Nagoya Protocol establishes an international framework for access-and-benefit-sharing (ABS) including for microbial research. Yet many microbiologists have only a vague understanding of what the NP requires and are unsure how to navigate its complexities, despite the fact that non-compliance can have significant legal consequences and far-reaching reputational and legal impacts. This paper discusses common misconceptions and practical challenges that microbiologists may encounter when complying with the Nagoya Protocol and a step-by-step guide on how to “do” the Nagoya Protocol. We present three case studies to showcase real-life experiences and provide best practice principles for access-and-benefit-sharing while fostering biodiversity conservation, equitable collaboration, and sustainable innovation.",

author = "Davide Faggionato and \{Mu{\~n}oz-Garc{\'i}a ,\}, Melania and Tanja Kostic and Ferrari, \{Mariana L\} and Pascale Vonaesch and Mathilde Poyet and Perrine Portier and Ryan, \{Matthew J.\} and Djamila Djeddour and Cornelia Stumptner and Varese, \{Giovanna Cristina\} and Aurora Zuzuarregui and Mathiieu Groussin and Michael Schloter and Finn, \{Robert D.\} and Haas, \{Aylin S.\} and Ian Probert and Gerard Verkley and J{\"o}rg Overmann and Scholz, \{Amber H.\}",

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doi = "10.1093/sumbio/qvag007",

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Faggionato, D, Muñoz-García ,M, Kostic, T, Ferrari , ML, Vonaesch , P, Poyet, M, Portier , P, Ryan, MJ, Djeddour, D, Stumptner, C, Varese, GC, Zuzuarregui, A, Groussin, M, Schloter, M, Finn, RD, Haas, AS, Probert, I, Verkley, G, Overmann, J & Scholz, AH 2026, 'Policy in practice: How to “do” the Nagoya Protocol: common misconceptions, challenges and best practices for access and benefit-sharing compliance', Sustainable Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.1093/sumbio/qvag007

TY - JOUR

T1 - Policy in practice: How to “do” the Nagoya Protocol: common misconceptions, challenges and best practices for access and benefit-sharing compliance

AU - Faggionato, Davide

AU - Muñoz-García ,, Melania

AU - Kostic, Tanja

AU - Ferrari , Mariana L

AU - Vonaesch , Pascale

AU - Poyet, Mathilde

AU - Portier , Perrine

AU - Ryan, Matthew J.

AU - Djeddour, Djamila

AU - Stumptner, Cornelia

AU - Varese, Giovanna Cristina

AU - Zuzuarregui, Aurora

AU - Groussin, Mathiieu

AU - Schloter, Michael

AU - Finn, Robert D.

AU - Haas, Aylin S.

AU - Probert, Ian

AU - Verkley, Gerard

AU - Overmann, Jörg

AU - Scholz, Amber H.

PY - 2026/2/18

Y1 - 2026/2/18

N2 - The Nagoya Protocol establishes an international framework for access-and-benefit-sharing (ABS) including for microbial research. Yet many microbiologists have only a vague understanding of what the NP requires and are unsure how to navigate its complexities, despite the fact that non-compliance can have significant legal consequences and far-reaching reputational and legal impacts. This paper discusses common misconceptions and practical challenges that microbiologists may encounter when complying with the Nagoya Protocol and a step-by-step guide on how to “do” the Nagoya Protocol. We present three case studies to showcase real-life experiences and provide best practice principles for access-and-benefit-sharing while fostering biodiversity conservation, equitable collaboration, and sustainable innovation.

AB - The Nagoya Protocol establishes an international framework for access-and-benefit-sharing (ABS) including for microbial research. Yet many microbiologists have only a vague understanding of what the NP requires and are unsure how to navigate its complexities, despite the fact that non-compliance can have significant legal consequences and far-reaching reputational and legal impacts. This paper discusses common misconceptions and practical challenges that microbiologists may encounter when complying with the Nagoya Protocol and a step-by-step guide on how to “do” the Nagoya Protocol. We present three case studies to showcase real-life experiences and provide best practice principles for access-and-benefit-sharing while fostering biodiversity conservation, equitable collaboration, and sustainable innovation.

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