Pará presents pioneering bioeconomy model at Rio de Janeiro Climate Week

The State Secretariat for Environment, Climate and Sustainability (Semas) represented the Government of Pará this Thursday (28) at the Rio Climate Action Week during the panel "Financing Bioeconomy: Building Bridges between Business Sector, Public Policies, and Territories." On this occasion, the state's advances in building and implementing public policies aimed at bioeconomy were highlighted, with an emphasis on the State Bioeconomy Plan (PlanBio).

Recognized nationally as a pioneering initiative, PlanBio was built in a participatory and multisectoral manner, bringing together representatives from public agencies, research institutions, the private sector, and traditional Amazon communities, such as indigenous peoples, quilombolas, family farmers, and other populations that integrate the territories of Pará's sociobiodiversity.

"We built a plan through a multisectoral discussion, involving secretariats, academia, the private sector, and representatives of Indigenous Peoples, Quilombolas, Traditional Communities, and Family Farmers. All of them work with bioeconomy in a sociobiodiverse state, with a great biological and social diversity that needs to be contemplated. The construction of the model was pioneering for being collaborative and for forming a network of trust," emphasized Camille Bemerguy, deputy secretary of Bioeconomy at Semas.

Model based on tradition, innovation, and preservation

PlanBio is based on reconciling environmental preservation and socioeconomic development, promoting a new economy for the Amazon. The proposal is structured around three main axes: Productive Chains and Sustainable Businesses; Cultural Heritage and Genetic Heritage; and Research, Development, and Innovation.

Camille Bemerguy reinforced that the concept of bioeconomy needs to respect the plurality of Amazonian territories, recognizing that there are different ways to produce based on the forest and local knowledge.

"Bioeconomy is not a novelty nor a unique and static concept. In Pará, it is thought of as a new economic model based on the forest and its communities. It is necessary to understand that different bioeconomies coexist within the state, with diverse potentials. These are movements that need to be built in parallel, with actions in the short, medium, and long term, happening simultaneously," she explained.

Bioeconomy and Innovation Park will be delivered soon

During the panel, the deputy secretary also presented the Amazon Bioeconomy and Innovation Park, a public facility that will soon be delivered by the Government of Pará. The space will bring together entrepreneurial initiatives, scientific research, and products from the Amazonian bioeconomy, focusing on sustainable development, productive inclusion, and income generation for traditional peoples and communities.

"The proposal is for the environment to function as a permanent showcase of innovative Amazon, promoting connections between investors, researchers, governments, and populations. It is a concrete response from Pará to the climate urgency and the commitment to a just transition. We want to show that it is possible to combine economic development with environmental preservation, valuing local knowledge and promoting productive inclusion. Bioeconomy is one of the great opportunities for the Amazon," concluded Camille Bemerguy.

Text: Vinicius Silva / Ascom Semas