Since the Foundation became engaged in helping the world better understand what is in our food, we have recognized the importance of the international debate on digital sequencing information (DSI) and how it relates to biodiversity loss, national environmental resource sovereignty, and international benefits-sharing. A debate which, until a few weeks ago, threatened to upend years of work at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). But what is DSI and how does it impact people and the planet?
What is DSI?
DSI is the data derived from biological materials like plants, animals, and even viruses. For example, the data representing the genome of any particular food, like a carrot or an apple, is considered its DSI. Some interpretations of DSI also include chemical constituents and other digital descriptions of biological resources.
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