The following definitions and concepts are generally agreed upon by BioTrade partners and are based on international definitions used by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), in line with the UN Agenda 21.

BioTrade Initiative
The BioTrade Initiative promotes trade and investment in biological resources in support of sustainable development, in line with the three objectives of the CBD.

Biotrade
The term biotrade refers to those activities of collection/production, transformation, and commercialisation of goods and services derived from native biodiversity (genetic resources, species and ecosystems), under criteria of environmental, social and economic sustainability.

BioTrade principles & criteria
The following principles are taken into account when decisions are made regarding support to potential biotrade initiatives:  

Biotrade initiatives
Business ventures in different stages of development headed by economic actors (communities, community-based associations, small and medium-sized enterprises, among others) that meet the BioTrade principles and criteria.

Biotrade products and services
BioTrade activities are generally oriented towards the production, transformation and commercialisation of products derived from the sustainable use of biological resources, or the provision of services derived from such resources. BioTrade products may include those coming from wild collection or from cultivation practices. The latter refers to products derived from cultivation of native species (domesticated and wild varieties) through activities such as agriculture or aquaculture. In this case, cultivation is considered as a strategy to assure the conservation of endangered species and their ecosystems. Products derived from wild collection include products such as fauna (e.g. ornamental fish), fauna derivates (e.g. crocodile leather or meat) and flora (e.g. medicinal plants).

Services include, for example, carbon sequestration and ecotourism. To date, the work of the BioTrade Initiative is focusing on ecotourism. Ecotourism includes tourist activities developed in natural habitats or areas of importance for biodiversity conservation, involving biotrade criteria. They contribute to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, to minimise negative impacts, and to generate economic benefits for communities in an equitable manner.

Sustainable development
“Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (Brundtland Commission)

The BioTrade Initiative and partners seek to implement sustainable development objectives through the application of biotrade principles and criteria, which involve environmental, social and economic sustainability.

Biological diversity
“Biological diversity or biodiversity means the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.” (CBD)

Sustainable use
“Sustainable use means the use of components of biological diversity in a way and at a rate that does not lead to the long-term decline of biological diversity, thereby maintaining its potential to meet the needs and aspirations of present and future generations.” (CBD)

Value chain
The term value chain refers to relationships established between actors involved directly and indirectly in a productive activity with the aim of adding value in each stage of the value chain. It involves alliances among producers, processors, distributors, traders, regulatory and support institutions, which, departing from a market demand for their products and services, establish a joint vision to identify mutual needs and work jointly in the achievement of goals, willing to share the associated risks and benefits, and invest time, energy, and resources in meeting these goals.

In the context of biotrade, value chain analysis is used as a tool to establish a joint vision and identify common needs and existing supply capacity and market barriers, in order to develop intervention strategies. The value chain approach facilitates, among others: the articulation among actors in a value chain; the involvement of good practices related to sustainable use and conservation; and the equitable sharing of environmental, social and economic benefits among participants.

Adaptive management
Adaptive management allows for the implementation of corrective measures in systems on an ongoing basis, based on a process of continued monitoring. In the case of the management of biological recourses, adaptive management begins with the monitoring of the impacts (environmental, social and economic) on the ecosystems and populations resulting from the use of biological resources. This type of management allows for the appropriate adjustment of the productive processes, including modification or suspension of activities that are affecting the populations and their habitat. Adaptive management should be practiced, based on:

1.   science and traditional and local knowledge;

2.   iterative, timely and transparent feedback derived from monitoring the use, environmental, socio-economic impacts, and the status of the resource being used; and

3.  adjusting management, based on timely feedback from the monitoring procedures.

In the context of biotrade, adaptive management is an approach that contributes to the improvement of biotrade initiatives in a continuous way.

Ecosystem approach
The ecosystem approach is a strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way. Application of the ecosystem approach will help to reach a balance of the three objectives of the CBD. It is based on the application of appropriate scientific methodologies focused on levels of biological organizsation, which encompass the essential processes, functions and interactions among organisms and their environment. It recognises that humans, with their cultural diversity, are an integral component of ecosystems.

In the context of biotrade, the ecosystem approach is incorporated in the BioTrade principles and criteria and in the good ecological and social practices adopted by the biotrade initiatives. It requires an integrated vision of ecological and social issues, as well as of the interactions and processes that a productive system involves. In practice, planning of productive processes related to biotrade initiatives has to be undertaken following the ecosystem approach in order to guarantee the fulfilment of an initiative's environmental and social responsibilities, according to their impact on species, habitats and ecosystems.

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Selected biotrade definitions and concepts