The Hoodia cactus thrives in the semi-arid zones of Southern Africa. As long as anyone can remember, the San have used parts of the Hoodia cactus to stave off hunger and thirst on their long hunting expeditions in the desert.

The plant’s active ingredient, a very effective anorectic, was eventually patented by a South African institute. The new patent holders only approached the San to negotiate a benefit sharing agreement after they had secured their claim. Since then many companies from the North have entered the lucrative market for appetite suppressants.

Most of these profiteers – including some from Switzerland – never bothered to negotiate an agreement with the owners of the traditional knowledge. In a joint letter to the Swiss Federal Council, the San and the Berne Declaration urge the Swiss government to implement the Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD) in Switzerland and ban the sale of these illegal products.