Sviluppo biotecnologico: versus-verso la biodiversità

The aim of this paper is to discuss some importantant economic-ethic issues conceming the consequences of biotecknology diffusion for the biodiversity. A part the fact that biodiversity is influenced by natural factors, the most important changes of the last fifty years were caused by the colonization of large natural areas and growing needs o/energyfor nutrition and life. Genetic firms, farmers and agribusiness operators are mainly interested in commerciai opportunitìes offered by genetically modified organism (GMO) that can perform economically convenient functions. The conservation of genetic resources is a public good that must be preserved and the private use of this resource must be regulated. The economisti and ecologisti point of view is examined in order to reconciliate the production with the nature conservation. Italy presents a large share of the European biodiversity and there is an interest to match the private and public interest with conservation strategies. For this purpose the UE has greatly incentivated the diffusion of in situ and ex situ conservation strategies