| ABS | access and benefit sharing |
| CBD | Convention on Biological Diversity |
| CESAGen | Centre for Economic and Social Aspects of Genomics |
| CGIAR | Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research |
| CITES | Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora |
| CSOLP | certificate of source, origin or legal provenance |
| CSR | corporate social responsibility |
| ESCR | International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights |
| FAO | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |
| GATT | General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade |
| GMO | genetically modified organism |
| GR | genetic resource |
| IDHGD | International Declaration on Human Genetic Data |
| INBio | National Biodiversity Institute (Costa Rica) |
| IPR | intellectual property rights |
| ITPGRFA | International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture |
| MTA | material transfer agreement |
| MTDS | monitoring, tracking and documentation system |
| PIC | prior informed consent |
| PBR | plant breeders' rights |
| PCT | Patent Cooperation Treaty |
| PGRFA | plant genetic resources for food and agriculture |
| TK | traditional knowledge |
| TEV | total economic value of biodiversity |
| TMOIFGR | tracking and monitoring the international flow of genetic resources |
| TRIPS | Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights |
| WIPO | World Intellectual Property Organization |
| WTO | World Trade Organization |