A community approach to sharing traditional knowledge for non-commercial research

This report proposes the creation of a 'Traditional Knowledge (TK) Commons' to facilitate the sharing of traditional knowledge for non-commercial research while preserving the biospiritual virtues and cultural integrity of indigenous and local communities (ILCs). It argues against the wholesale commodification of TK, suggesting instead a licensing system that ensures reciprocity, non-appropriation, and the continued flow of knowledge back to the source communities.

• The report identifies a tension between the commercial Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) agreements encouraged by Article 8(j) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the biospiritual virtues of indigenous and local communities (ILCs). While ABS agreements treat knowledge as a commodity, many ILCs view their traditional knowledge (TK) as a gift or calling, where commodification can erode the value systems and social cohesion of the community.
• The authors propose a 'TK Commons' as a framework for non-commercial research that allows ILCs to share knowledge without leaving it open to abuse or requiring a separate ABS agreement for every use. This system expands the definition of 'community' to include non-traditional users (such as students and academic researchers) who agree to abide by the community's biospiritual virtues and share any resulting knowledge increases back with the community.
• A TK Commons would operate through a licensing system based on the principles of non-appropriation and reciprocity, similar to Free and Open Source Software (FLOSS). Key requirements for licensees include providing enduring recognition of the TK source, ensuring use does not harm the environment, and placing any new developments based on the TK back into the Commons under the same license terms.
• The report suggests an online licensing system to manage the TK Commons. This would include a database of shareable TK, a mechanism for users to agree to licenses, and a system where 'knowledge trustees' review new research to disseminate relevant findings back to ILCs in their own vernacular. The system would be governed by a board of ILC representatives, research centers, and universities.
• The authors argue that the TK Commons could help establish a new category of 'biocultural rights' within the international human rights framework. This approach moves beyond the first three generations of human rights (civil/political, socio-economic/cultural, and collective/environmental) by recognizing the interdependent relationship between ecosystems, human communities, and the flow of knowledge.
• The report highlights specific examples of biocultural protocols, such as those developed by traditional healers in Bushbuckridge, South Africa, and 'gunis' in Rajasthan, India. These communities emphasize that their knowledge is held in trust and that the 'virtuous path' (dharma) requires them to serve their community selflessly and avoid profiting from their healing knowledge.

APA

Abrell, E., Bavikatte, K. S., Cocchiaro, G., Jonas, H., & Rens, A. (2009). A community approach to sharing traditional knowledge for non-commercial research. Natural Justice. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Imagining-a-Traditional-Knowledge-Commons.pdf

Chicago

Abrell, Elan, Kabir Sanjay Bavikatte, Gino Cocchiaro, Harry Jonas, and Andrew Rens. A community approach to sharing traditional knowledge for non-commercial research. Natural Justice, 2009. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Imagining-a-Traditional-Knowledge-Commons.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Abrell |first1=Elan |last2=Bavikatte |first2=Kabir Sanjay |last3=Cocchiaro |first3=Gino |last4=Jonas |first4=Harry |last5=Rens |first5=Andrew |title=A community approach to sharing traditional knowledge for non-commercial research |publisher=Natural Justice |date=October 2009 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Imagining-a-Traditional-Knowledge-Commons.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{abrell2009community, author = {Abrell, Elan and Bavikatte, Kabir Sanjay and Cocchiaro, Gino and Jonas, Harry and Rens, Andrew}, title = {{A community approach to sharing traditional knowledge for non-commercial research}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, year = {2009}, month = oct, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Imagining-a-Traditional-Knowledge-Commons.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }