UN biodiversity Cali Fund raises only a few thousand dollars after launch
The UN-backed Cali Fund, created to collect payments from companies using genetic data, has so far gathered just US$7,085.
The Cali Fund, conceived at the 2024 Biodiversity COP and launched in early 2025, seeks to secure a modest percentage of profits or turnover from pharmaceutical, cosmetics, biotech and breeding companies that profit from digital sequence information. Its designers projected the possibility of generating up to a billion dollars annually, yet only three firms - TierraViva AI, Prozomix and E-BIOM - have actually paid, amounting to US$7,085, while two more have pledged US$3,571.
The fund operates on a voluntary basis and is not legally binding, relying on incentives that many companies find insufficient. Analysts note the absence of national laws mandating contributions and concerns over how the money would be managed and recognized domestically. Industry representatives argue that the mechanism overlaps with existing regulations and may misinterpret data usage in drug discovery. The fund’s future hinges on governments creating conditions that encourage broader corporate participation.
