Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Agriculture and Human Values https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-020-10039-3 From texts to enacting practices: defning fair and equitable research principles for plant genetic resources in West Africa F. Jankowski 1  · S. Louaf 2  · N. A. Kane 3  · M. Diol 4  · A. Diao Camara 5  · J.‑L. Pham 6,7  · C. Berthouly‑Salazar 6  · A. Barnaud 6 Accepted: 28 April 2020 © Springer Nature B.V. 2020 Abstract Collaborative research practices in the feld of plant genetic resources must follow the principles of fairness and equity as defned in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and in the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA). In this context the concepts of fairness and equity generally refer to the substantive and procedural dimensions associated with sharing the benefts of this research. But neither term is clearly defned by these international treaties, and the meanings attributed to the concepts vary among diferent societies. This paper looks at the ques- tion of how to account for the diversity among value systems when conducting research that implicates diverse stakeholders and respects the requirements of fairness and equity. We incorporated an auto-ethnography method developed as part of a multi-stakeholder network involved in research projects on plant genetic resources in West Africa. A theatrical device was used as a framework for testing the principles of fairness and equity, helping us to collectively identify feelings of injustice, and explore the conditions for making collaborative research practices more ethical in ways that respect the perspectives of diferent stakeholders. In an environment of extensive political and socio-cognitive inequality, this approach makes it pos- sible to explain the criteria relating to interactional justice and expectations in terms of socio-political and socio-emotional benefts. It also invites us to consider the principles of fairness and equity in a framework of ethical competence that goes beyond international directives. Keywords Access and beneft sharing (ABS) · Ethics · Interactional justice · Transdisciplinary research · Plant genetic resources · Forum theater Abbreviations ITPGRFA International treaty on plant genetic resources for food and agriculture NP Nagoya protocol CBD Convention on biological diversity PIC Prior informed consent ABS Access and beneft sharing * F. Jankowski frederique.jankowski@cirad.fr S. Louaf selim.louaf@cirad.fr N. A. Kane ndjidokane@gmail.com M. Diol diol6@yahoo.fr A. Diao Camara astoudiaocamara@gmail.com J.-L. Pham jean-louis.pham@ird.fr C. Berthouly-Salazar cecile.berthouly@ird.fr A. Barnaud adeline.barnaud@ird.fr 1 GREEN, CIRAD, University of Montpellier, Bâtiment F - Bureau 105, TA C-47 / F, Campus international de Baillarguet, 34398 Montpellier, Cedex 5, France 2 AGAP, CIRAD, University of Montpellier, 34398 Montpellier , France 3 CERAAS, ISRA, Thiès, Sénégal – LMI LAPSE, Campus de Bel Air, route des Hydrocarbures, Dakar, Sénégal 4 Kaddu Yaraax, Dakar, Sénégal 5 BAME, ISRA, Dakar, Sénégal 6 DIADE, University of Montpellier, IRD, Montpellier, France 7 Agropolis Fondation, Montpellier, France