Contents -- Foreword -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Chapter 1 Introduction -- General overview -- National access regimes and efforts -- The project -- Chapter 2 Seven Country Reports -- Argentina -- Canada -- Colombia -- Costa Rica -- Paraguay -- Peru -- United States -- Chapter 3 A Comparative Analysis -- Table 1. Legal status of genetic resources -- Argentina -- Canada -- Colombia -- Costa Rica -- Paraguay -- Peru -- United States -- Table 2. Access to genetic resources -- Argentina -- Canada -- Colombia -- Costa Rica -- Paraguay -- Peru -- United States -- Table 3. Participation in the benefits derived from access -- Argentina -- Colombia -- Costa Rica -- Paraguay -- Peru -- United States -- Table 4. Conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources -- Argentina -- Canada -- Colombia -- Costa Rica -- Paraguay -- Peru -- United States -- Chapter 4 Options for the Future -- General observations -- Differences between national systems for conservation and use -- Findings related to national systems for access and compensation for genetic resources -- Ex situ centres -- Recommendations for national legal systems -- Recommendations for increasing national capacities in developing countries and technology transfer -- Recommendations for complementary legal systems -- Indigenous and local communities -- Appendix 1 Abbreviations and Acronyms -- References.