About the Biodiversity-based Products (BBP)

Biodiversity-based Products (BBP) as an economic source for the improvement of livelihoods and biodiversity protection

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The ASEAN Member States host about 18% of the species of the Earth; 3 of the 18 mega biodiversity countries; about 35% of the global mangrove forests; and 30% of the coral reefs. This wealth in biodiversity poses opportunities for the economic development of the region.

The substantial biological wealth found in the ASEAN region provides opportunities for the economic, ecological, and socio-cultural development. In local markets of ASEAN Member States (AMS), biodiversity-based products (BBPs) such as natural cosmetics, pharmaceutical and health-supplement products, additives, handicraft, and other non-timber forest products are common. The AMS may improve on these potentials and develop BBPs at the national, regional and possibly international markets through their promotion.  Thus, with support from the BMZ of Germany, ACB and GIZ-GFA are implementing the Biodiversity-based Products Project.

The AMS want to use this economic potential by further developing trade relations for bio-products (organic trade) nationally, regionally and possibly globally. However, the potential of biodiversity-based Products (BBP), especially for the local indigenous population in buffer zones of protected areas in the region is not yet sufficiently analyzed, and their market potential often unknown.

To promote ASEAN national policies on conservation, particularly in the framework of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), ASEAN has established the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), an intergovernmental institution, to address the protection of biodiversity on a regional level, to develop and disseminate joint strategies as well as to explore win-win opportunities, merging biodiversity protection with livelihood improvement for the mostly poor population.

The BBP Project is implemented by GFA Consulting Group GmbH for GIZ and in cooperation with the ACB.

The focus of project intervention will be in the buffer zones of Nam Ha ASEAN Heritage Park (AHP) in Lao PDR ; Ba Be AHP and Hoang Lien, Sa Pa AHP in Vietnam ; and the community protected areas of Phnom Kulen in Cambodia.

The project will provide emphasis on and contribute to the economic valuation of biodiversity as well as the sustainable use, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. 

 

BBP Objective and Components

Objective:

The ASEAN Member States (AMS) are supported by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) in promoting BBP for the improvement of livelihoods and biodiversity protection, according to their needs.

Components

The project will work on four components: 

  1. BBP Value Chain Promotion Strategy

    Implementation of a strategy to promote BBP value chains and policies for AMS and ASEAN. Consultation and gap analysis will be conducted to analyze strategies, legal and institutional frameworks for the development of BBP value chains in the AMS, and determine barriers and options for a future BBP value chain promotion. Training needs assessment with regard to political and technical knowledge and experience of the AMS will identify possible interventions by the project and enable the development of a counseling strategy of the ACB for the AMS related to BBP value chains and their implementation. The consultation will include the public, private and civil sectors.

  2. Development of BBP-oriented Information Platform at ACB Biodiversity Information Management and Establishment of Help Desk

    Focus on the development of a central information platform at "Biodiversity Information Management" of the ACB. The aim is to make information on current BBP-related policies of AMS, value chains, workshops and conferences available within the AMS and on the ACB web pages. A help desk will be established to advise the public, private and civil sector in the AMS on the development of BBP value chains and provide the corresponding conceptual basis.

  3. Piloting of BBP Value Chains to Improve Livelihoods and Promote Biodiversity Conservation

    In the buffer zones of selected AHPs or other protected areas, selected BBP value chains will be piloted to improve livelihoods and to promote biodiversity conservation. This action will focus on the implementation of pilot projects in the buffer zones of selected AHP of Lao PDR and Vietnam and protected areas in Cambodia.

  4. Human Capacity Development 
    Knowledge transfer on the importance and development of BBP value chains to relevant target groups. Guidance documents, tools, and training materials, among others, based on the evaluations of the experiences of other projects to value chain development (Component 1) and on the pilot measures (Component 3) will be created; existing materials will be adjusted along the BBP context. A pool of trainers will be formed from research and educational institutions, public and private institutions and companies.