Prior informed consent (PIC) is the principle that genetic resources, and the traditional knowledge associated with them, may only be accessed after the provider has agreed, in advance, with a clear understanding of what will be done with them. Under the Nagoya Protocol, PIC is required from the providing country and, where national law says so, from indigenous and local communities.
In practice
For a landrace collector, PIC means explaining to the farmers and relevant authorities who you are, what you want to collect, what you intend to do with it (preservation, breeding, sale), and what the community will receive, then getting their agreement before collecting. Consent obtained by misleading people, or after the fact, does not count. Documentation of consent, alongside mutually agreed terms, is what separates collection from taking.
Free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) is a related standard in indigenous rights law that stresses the absence of coercion.
Rules differ by country, state, province and city, and change often. This is a general definition, not legal advice: check local rules.
Don't confuse with
- Benefit-sharing: what the provider receives; PIC is the agreement to proceed.
- Medical informed consent: the same idea in a different field.
