An institutional analysis of biotrade contract implementation

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Since the early 1990s, following independence, the Namibian government has promoted the commercialization of marula oil production, notably supporting the Eudafano Women’s Cooperative in Ovamboland. This includes engaging in biotrade contracts, such as an ABS (Access to genetic resources and Benefit Sharing) agreement to supply marula oil to a European cosmetic company. Marula, a versatile half-domesticated indigenous fruit tree, is regulated by traditional rules that govern its collection and processing as a collaborative women’s activity, with biotrade contracts seen as a means to empower women. This study investigates the impacts of biotrade contracting by examining the institutional changes that accompany the introduction of marula biotrade in Namibia. An analytical framework integrates Hagedorn’s Institution of Sustainability and Williamson’s four-level model of institutions, alongside an understanding of power through Simon’s bounded rationality. Utilizing Charmaz’s grounded theory methodology and referencing post-colonial African economic theory, qualitative data is analyzed to represent systems of human thought. These representations reveal a series of institutional changes related to biotrade, particularly in the collection of oil nuts and government administration. The study finds that designed institutional changes linked to biotrade exacerbate power asymmetries and lead to unintended changes that contradict ABS obj