With the participation of indigenous peoples and traditional communities, the event reinforced the urgency of guaranteeing land regularization for ancestral territories to foster socio-biodiversity economies.
During the 16th United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP16), held in Cali, Colombia, the Institute for Society, Population and Nature (ISPN) organized the event “Integrating Sociobiodiversity for the Sustainable Management of Ecosystems” on October 21st. It also co-organized, in partnership with the International Center for Agroforestry Research (CIFOR-ICRAF), the event “Towards 2030: National Strategies and Implementation of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF)”. Both events took place at the Cali Chamber of Commerce, COP16 Green Zone, and had broad participation from various social representatives.
The first event highlighted the crucial role of socio-biodiversity economies, led by indigenous peoples and traditional communities, in the conservation and sustainable use of forests and ecosystems. A central point was the need to guarantee territorial rights to these communities to strengthen their economies.
In the opening panel, indigenous and traditional leaders shared success stories. Samuel Caetano, president of the National Council of Traditional Peoples and Communities (CNPCT), recounted the experience of the Grande Sertão Cooperative, which serves more than 2 families in the semi-arid region of Minas Gerais, promoting agroecology and environmental conservation.
“Without territory, there is no product, which makes us vulnerable,” he emphasized. Caetano also criticized the lack of tax incentives for socio-biodiversity products, in contrast to exemptions for monocultures such as soy.
Carlos Lopez Descanse, from the Inga people of the Colombian Amazon and leader of the Organization of Indigenous Peoples of Colombia (OPIAC), discussed sustainability and tourism projects developed by the organization. José Benício, coordinator of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (Apib), emphasized the interdependence between biodiversity and climate, stating that protecting both is essential for the survival of humanity.
Antônia Cariongo, coordinator of the Committee for the Defense of the Rights of Quilombola Peoples of Maranhão, emphasized the importance of land regularization: "Without territorial security, we cannot develop our economies and cultures."
Danilo Guajajara, from the Coordination of Articulations of Indigenous Peoples and Organizations of Maranhão (Coapima), emphasized that territorial protection, carried out by indigenous peoples, allows for the development of socio-biodiversity products and the conservation of the environment.
In the second panel, Lara Ramos, from World-Transforming Technology (WTT), spoke about the integration of socio-environmental policies with those of Science, Technology and Innovation (ST&I). Henrique Kefalas, from the Linha D'Água Institute, addressed the challenges faced by coastal communities, while Jeferson Straatmann, from the Socio-environmental Institute (ISA), highlighted that the survival of socio-biodiversity economies depends on legal frameworks that protect the ways of life of these communities.
"If there is no adequate policy, there is no biodiversity production; this discussion should be at the heart of both COPs, the biodiversity and the climate," Straatmann stated.
Towards a participatory and cultural restoration
ISPN also co-organized the event “Towards 2030: National Strategies and Implementation of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF)”. One of the main highlights in the speakers' presentations was the need for environmental restoration strategies to directly involve the indigenous peoples and traditional communities that inhabit the areas to be restored. The protagonism of these communities is essential, as they hold ancestral knowledge about the territories and can guarantee the sustainability of the actions.
Restoration should be seen as a tool for both political articulation how much struggle for quality of life In addition to being a means of transmitting cultural knowledge to future generations, these territories allow Indigenous peoples, quilombola communities, and traditional communities (PIPCTAFs) to continue caring for and preserving their territories, keeping them alive and healthy for future generations.
The event featured the participation of various indigenous leaders, government representatives, and civil society representatives from Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, who enriched the debate with their experiences and perspectives on the crucial role of local communities in implementing effective strategies for biodiversity conservation and restoration in Latin America.
COP16 continues until November 1st, and we are following the debates within civil society and governments in favor of protecting global biodiversity.