Panel presented by VBIO at COP28 highlights challenges and opportunities of projects carried out in five Brazilian biomes.
Developing the socio-bioeconomy in different Brazilian biomes requires an integrated approach that takes into account the social, economic, cultural, and environmental aspects specific to each region. Over seven years of activity, VBIO has been supporting various initiatives aimed at the development of the bioeconomy and biodiversity conservation throughout Brazil. In the panel “Socio-bioeconomy in Different Brazilian Biomes”, VBIO presented, in a debate format, how these actions have produced significant results, especially for indigenous peoples, traditional communities, and family farmers, ensuring their permanence in the forest, ecosystem restoration, and a low-carbon economy.
Among the panelists, the event featured the participation of the founder of VBIO and director of GSS Carbon & Bioinovation, Francine Leal; the director of Reservas Votorantim, David Canassa; the advisor of the UN Global Compact in Brazil, Denise Hills; the director of the Department of Forests at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Fabiola Zerbini; and the executive director of TNC Brazil, Frineia Rezende.
Here are some of the main topics raised among the various relevant issues for Brazil related to the bioeconomy and socio-biodiversity.
Contribution to climate issues
Starting with the origin of VBIO at the COP in Mexico in 2016, the panel emphasized its role as a mediator between socio-environmental projects and private investors. The more than R$ 40 million in mapped projects signaled the vast potential of these initiatives.
Challenges and opportunities in the socio-bioeconomy
With the presentation of projects, featuring speeches from proponents and beneficiaries, the challenges and opportunities of biomes such as the Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, Amazon, Pantanal, and marine biome were addressed. Denise Hills guided the discussion through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting the vital importance of Brazilian biomes in tackling climate change.
Individual and institutional contributions
In addition to aligning objectives with the SDGs, there was an emphasis on the need for strategic architectures that connect with KPIs. The multifaceted approach, ranging from hunger mitigation to human rights promotion and inequality reduction, was considered an effective strategy.
The importance of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)
SDG 17 was highlighted as a key element in combating climate change, redesigning the economic model by 2030. Emphasis was placed on partnerships and collaborations as fundamental, between the public, private, and NGO sectors, to overcome the adverse effects of the current economic way of life.
Traditional knowledge and strategic scaling
Practical points such as the importance of traditional knowledge, strategic scalability, and the role of indigenous peoples in conservation were highlighted. The challenge of scaling initiatives, considering different biomes, required a careful approach. After all, how and what do we want to scale?
Financial mechanisms and biodiversity
The discussion advanced to financial mechanisms, such as socio-biodiversity credits and their equivalence to carbon credits. The vital role of “productive forests” as wealth generators was emphasized, and the need to create financial incentives to invest in the forest was pointed out as crucial.
Local vocation and resource access:
Through the presented videos of projects developed in different biomes, the importance of understanding local vocations and showing the population that the forest offers resources for local development was highlighted. Access to resources, especially for collective territories, was pointed out as a crucial need.
The panel provided a comprehensive and practical view of the issues related to socio-bioeconomy in Brazilian biomes, addressing both immediate challenges and long-term strategies to ensure sustainable balance.
Interested in learning more? Watch the full recording:
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