NBA releases Rs 6.67 crore under Access and Benefit Sharing Mechanism for Biodiversity Conservation and Livelihood Support in 11 cotton-growing States

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released Rs 6.67 crore under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism to support biodiversity conservation and livelihood enhancement in 11 cotton‑growing states. The amount, derived from Rs 7.62 crore realised from Bayer Science & Innovation Pvt. Ltd. for research on 25,431 cotton varieties, is allocated to State Biodiversity Boards based on the geographic distribution of cotton cultivation, with the remaining Rs 0.95 crore retained in the National Biodiversity Fund. The funds will finance on‑farm and ex‑situ conservation, People’s Biodiversity Registers, ecosystem restoration, biodiversity research, digital databases, capacity building and livelihood programmes. This disbursement contributes to the Kunming‑Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets on fair benefit‑sharing and genetic diversity conservation, bringing the cumulative ABS funds released by NBA to Rs 152.24 crore.