Abstract
As is well known, as colonialism expanded, the role of the botanical garden was shaped by the new colonial powers, first the Dutch one, later the British one. The point was to study and understand how to produce marketable goods such as exotic spices and plants as efficiently as possible. The purpose of this abstract is to understand how, through these laboratories of knowledge, it was possible to find the basis for international trade rules in exotic goods. On the other hand, it could be investigated how this approach still influences legal debate today, particularly concerning cultural heritage and biodiversity protection.