Digital Sequence Information (DSI)
Why in news?
DSI emerged as a major issue at the 11th session of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), held in Lima, Peru, from November 24-29, 2025.
Concerns for India
- India has shared over 400,000 plant samples through the Multilateral System (MLS) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA).
- Despite millions of global transfers (over 66 lakh from 22 lakh varieties), benefits to providers like India remain unclear and untraceable.
DSI and Biopiracy Risks
- Digital Sequence Information (DSI) from genetic resources bypasses Nagoya Protocol rules under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), enabling bio-piracy.
- DSI allows firms in a few nations to build genomic databases and claim intellectual property rights (IPR) without sharing benefits.
Threats to Global South
- Expansions of MLS to all plant resources concentrate power with global North companies, threatening farmer rights and seed sovereignty.
- Over 54% of seed trade is controlled by four multinational firms, prioritizing profits over sustainability.
Recommended Actions
- Global South nations, including India, should oppose MLS expansions at events like ITPGRFA GB-11 in Lima (Nov 2025).
- Demand traceability of transfers, bans on IPR from MLS-DSI, and equitable governance reforms.
Key points on DSI
- About DSI: Digital Sequence Information (DSI) means digital data from genetic material of plants, like DNA or RNA sequences stored online. It's like a codebook of a plant's genes, shared freely for research without needing the actual plant.
- How is it made? Scientists take DNA from plants, sequence it (read the code), and upload it to public databases. No agreed definition exists yet, but it mainly covers gene sequences from nature.
- Uses in plants: Helps breed better crops resistant to diseases or drought. Identifies plant species, tracks illegal trade, and predicts climate survival for food security.
- Benefits: Speeds up research, saves costs (no physical samples needed), aids conservation, and creates new products like medicines or improved seeds.
- Key treaties: Covered under CBD and Plant Treaty (ITPGRFA) for fair benefit-sharing. Debates focus on sharing profits from commercial use.
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