Résumé
Adopted during the first International Congress of Ethnobiology (1988), the Belem Declaration acknowledged for the first time biologists' responsibility to better address the needs of indigenous and local populations and recommended compensating them for the utilization of their biological resources and knowledge. Since then, the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992) and its recently adopted Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (2010), along with the International Treaty of the FAO (2001), have generalized the principle of channeling returns-whether monetary or non-monetary-back to a range of designated groups, whether bilaterally or through collective means such as a benefitsharing fund. These principles are implemented through a set of mechanisms such as prior informed consent or material transfer agreements that formalize the practices of access, exchange and use of genetic resources and associated knowledge. The current contribution aims to analyze the effect that these regulations have on scientists' behavior related to the acquisition and contribution of genetic resources for food and agriculture (GRFA). The paper explores in particular the connection between the importance of genetic diversity in scientists' research activities and GRFA sourcing strategies and behavior. The analysis goes beyond current research to examine institutional, economic, and attitudinal explanations for patterns in scientists' use of genebanks. It is based on a survey that covers GRFA exchange and use practices in two different countries (US and France) and four different types of organizations (university, national research institute, company, and government). The analysis covers individual as well as project level, such that it is possible to investigate some portion of the collaborative network of the scientists, their exchange behavior and the institutional context within which they conduct research. Findings will inform current understanding about access, exchange and use behavior of researchers. Conclusions will discuss implications for practice and policy. (Résumé d'auteur)