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Definition of "biopiracy" [biopiracy]

  • The commercial development of naturally occurring biological materials, such as plant substances or genetic cell lines, by a technologically advanced country or organization without fair compensation to the peoples or nations in whose territory the materials were originally discovered. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "biopiracy" in a sentence
  • "Bioprospection, or biopiracy, is not a futuristic scenario but a reality."
  • "First, they say they are frustrated by the limited benefits that their countries gain under the current ABS frameworks, complaining that the rich world is engaging in "biopiracy" - plundering their resources without sharing any of the loot."
  • "Africans call this biopiracy, which is exactly what it is."