The BeneLex project comprises an inter-disciplinary, empirical study of ‘community protocols’ as tools for articulating and implementing fair and equitable benefit-sharing at the intersection of international, transnational, national and indigenous communities’ customary law. The study integrates empirical legal research and political sociology. It is being carried out, inter alia, through research missions in Namibia, Malaysia, South Africa, Argentina and in the Greek island of Ikaria. Each case study focuses on a different sector, namely: wildlife management, agriculture, traditional medicine, mining and pastoralism.