Brazil Coalition advocates for National Bioeconomy Policy

The Brazilian Ministers of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, Environment, Economy, Regional Development and Science and Technology, as well as dozens of congressmen and the leaders of the two houses of the National Congress, have this month received a document from the Brazil Climate, Forests and Agriculture Coalition advocating for the creation of a National Bioeconomy Policy. BVRio is a member of the Brazil Coalition on Climate, Forests and Agriculture and has the bioeconomy area as a strategy in its performance.

“Brazil is ideally placed to be a leader of the new Bioeconomy if it aligns the responsible use of the enormous biodiversity of its biomes with the knowledge of traditional peoples and communities, the social capital of family farmers and the powerful innovation capacity of Brazilian companies in the forestry and agricultural sector,” said Luciana Villa Nova, executive consultant in sustainability and bioeconomy and one of the leaders of the Bioeconomy Task Force of the Brazil Coalition.

According to the advocacy document submitted 16 September 2021, a national bioeconomy policy would also strengthen programs to promote research, development and innovation applied in the theme, focusing on forests and biodiversity, based on public-private partnerships, in line with the Biodiversity Law and the Nagoya Protocol. For the Brazil Coalition, this work should be guided by absolute respect for the rights of indigenous peoples and traditional communities, through the sharing of benefits through access to traditional knowledge associated with biodiversity, according to Brazilian and international legislation on the subject.

“The implementation of a National Bioeconomy Policy will contribute to establishing a single and comprehensive legal framework, not to restrict activities, but to point out directions and strategies for socioeconomic development with low emissions and valorisation of environmental assets present in the diverse Brazilian ecosystems” Beto Mesquita, Director of Forestry and Public Policy at BVRio.

BVRio operates in the bioeconomy area through its initiatives such as the AmazoniAtiva shopping platform and the Design & Sustainable Wood skills transfer project.

Read the full document (document language Portuguese – auto-translate available).