Farmer to Pharma

Natural Justice is collaborating with the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and its the implementation of the ‘Farmer to Pharma Grand Challenge’ (FTP). According to the DST the aim of the Program is to “…catapult South Africa to a leading position in Biotechnology and pharmaceuticals by harnessing the country’s biodiversity, indigenous knowledge and scientific expertise.” Natural Justice was invited to the First National Bio-prospecting Stakeholders Meeting in July 2009 to present on mechanisms to integrate communities into the design and implementation of bio-prospecting permit applications.

Since this workshop Natural Justice has continued working closely with DST and its Farmer to Pharma program. In October 2009 Natural Justice facilitated a DST delegation visit to Mpumalanga and Limpopo to explore possible pilot regions for the implementation of possible initiatives in this field.