COP17 opens in Yerevan; South Africa highlights benefit-sharing deals for rooibos, buchu, honeybush

At the start of COP17 on biological diversity in Yerevan, South Africa is spotlighting its access and benefit-sharing agreements for indigenous plants like rooibos, buchu, and honeybush. The piece frames these as models for equitable bioprospecting, though it does not report new policy changes. The significance lies in the diplomatic positioning of biodiversity governance ahead of treaty negotiations.