ISPN is participating in the event in Montreal, Canada, to contribute to the debate in favor of the socio-biodiversity economy and the conservation of all Brazilian biomes.
“Make no mistake, the biodiversity crisis is also a climate crisis,” stated the Director-General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Dr. Bruno Orbele, in an open letter ahead of the 15th United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP15), which began in Montreal, Canada. According to Orbele, the UNFCCC COP 27, recently concluded in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, made it clear that the temperature limits established by the Paris Agreement will not be achieved without protecting all intact ecosystems, restoring what has already been depleted, and allowing nature and nature-based solutions to play their part.
This recognition raises the importance of the decisions that will be discussed during the COP 15 Biodiversity Conference. The expectation is to end 2022 with an ambitious global agreement that prevents species extinction and provides clear signals regarding the means and financial resources available to countries to recover from the damage already caused to the environment, which results in the progressive loss of biodiversity and natural ecosystems capable of guaranteeing mitigation and adaptation to climate change.
The Institute for Society, Population and Nature (ISPN) is participating in this global debate to defend the leading role and contributions of the territories of peoples, traditional communities, and family farmers, who, through sustainable use, generate income and food security while conserving ecosystems. “It is necessary to look at, value, and learn from the traditional peoples who inhabit the forests, savannas, fields, backlands, and all the diverse natural landscapes that exist in Brazil and the world,” states Fabio Vaz Ribeiro de Almeida, Executive Coordinator of the Institute.
Given the reality of global climate change, the anthropologist points out the need to rethink modes of income and wealth production, considering that the consequences generated by increasing deforestation and large-scale food systems are unsustainable. For him, the sustainable use and recognition of traditional knowledge associated with socio-biodiversity can offer answers both to the predatory economic model of nature and to pathways for mitigation and adaptation to climate change.
“The sustainable development of societies in the Global South and North is a possibility if we put into practice techniques and strategies refined over centuries by the lifestyles of local communities. Brazilian traditional peoples have much to teach the world,” he adds. Almeida will participate in COP15 alongside Guilherme Eidt, public policy advisor at ISPN, Lívia Carvalho Moura, technical advisor at the organization, and a small delegation of traditional peoples supported by the Institute, with representatives from quilombola and indigenous communities.
A voice that comes from the communities.
Antonia Cariongo, an activist in the Black movement and a defender of human rights and the environment, is one of the members of the group going to Montreal. “This is an extremely important space for us, traditional peoples and communities. It’s important that we are present in these discussions that involve our relationship with Mother Earth. This space is important for us to talk about our ways of life,” shares the quilombola leader from the Cariongo quilombo in the state of Maranhão.
She emphasizes her expectation of being able to talk about her daily experiences. “I want to talk about my people, our experiences, our territories, but above all, talk about the threats we face. I want to talk about the loss of our biodiversity: the babassu palm, the Brazil nut, the bacuri fruit, the pequi fruit. It is from this biodiversity that we carry out extractive activities [that sustain and generate income for the communities], but it is being destroyed by agribusiness,” Antonia denounces.
The Executive Coordinator of ISPN emphasizes the need to strengthen the leading role of indigenous peoples in discussions on issues that directly affect them. “The sharing of benefits derived from traditional knowledge associated with biodiversity, for example, a hot topic that will be debated at COP15, is not only of interest to communities but also needs to involve local leaders in the discussions,” he argues.
In addition to working to protect indigenous peoples, ISPN is also monitoring the construction of European anti-deforestation legislation for import of commoditiesThere is strong expectation that the European Union will announce the final version of the regulation at COP15. This matter, which directly affects Brazilian soybean production, could be a valuable tool for the country's environmental conservation. This depends on the Europeans' ambition to include other wooded areas beyond forest ecosystems within the scope of the legislation. Otherwise, there is a risk that it will become ineffective, leaving out the Cerrado biome, the main victim of deforestation associated with the expansion of agribusiness and commodities destined for the European market.
Where is the biodiversity that used to be here?
Between 1970 and 2018, there was a 69% reduction in global wildlife, according to the latest edition of the Living Planet Report. As highlighted by WWF-Brazil, Latin America shows the greatest regional decline (94%), while freshwater species populations registered the greatest global decline (84%). This trend is confirmed by the IPBES Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services report (2019), according to which 1 million species of animals and plants are now threatened with extinction.
Each year, approximately US$125 trillion in ecosystem services are provided to the global economy through drinking water, water for industrial processes, food, fresh air, heat absorption, productive soil, and forests and oceans that absorb carbon. More than half of the global GDP depends on nature. It is the greatest ally in the fight against the climate crisis.
What's at stake in Montreal?
At the Montreal conference, the objective will be to finalize the agreement on a new Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. It will outline what countries need to do, individually and collectively, over the next eight years, until 2030 and beyond, to set humanity on the right track to achieve the CBD's overarching vision of "living in harmony with nature" by 2050.
One of the most important goals is to ensure that at least 30% of land and sea areas are conserved globally by 2030 (a target known as 30x30). According to WWF-Brazil, current food systems, based primarily on monoculture, generate 70% of biodiversity loss on Earth. A transition to sustainable agriculture, such as that practiced by traditional peoples and communities, is essential to provide food security and long-term resilience. (With information from WWF-Brazil)
ABOUT ISPN
ISPN is a Brazilian non-governmental, non-profit organization, founded in April 1990 and headquartered in Brasília and Santa Inês, Maranhão. With 32 years of experience, it is recognized for its expertise in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, supporting indigenous peoples, traditional communities, and family farmers in the Cerrado, Amazon, and Caatinga biomes. Its mission is to contribute to achieving social equity and environmental balance by strengthening sustainable livelihoods and strategies for adapting to climate change.
Follow us: Social media coordinator | Youtube | Twitter | Facebook