'Plant hunting for commercial horticulture and access and benefit sharing: complementary or competitive uses of wild novel plants?'

In this thesis the relationship between the acquisition of novel plants from the wild for use in ornamental horticulture, commonly referred to as Plant Hunting, and access and benefit sharing introduced under the Nagoya Protocol (2010), part of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), is investigated. The Nagoya Protocol allows for countries to set out terms under which access may be given to their indigenous genetic resources in return for benefits from any research and development of those genetic resources. Many countries also put their own restrictions on the commercialisation of wild plants and seed. The key question that this thesis sets out to address is as follows: 'Plant hunting for commercial horticulture and access and benefit sharing: complementary or competitive uses of wild novel plants?'