The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA), is expected to launch the National Sociobioeconomy Plan in 2024. This plan aims to bring together public policies focused on generating income for traditional peoples and communities, family farmers, and activities that protect, manage, and regenerate forest, field, and water ecosystems.
To influence the development of this plan, members of the Observatory of Sociobiodiversity Economies (ÓSocioBio) held a workshop on Friday (15) to discuss proposals that are effective for the different realities and stages of development of productive activities in the different biomes. The activity also included members of the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Family Agriculture (MDA) and the Ministry of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight against Hunger (MDS).
“The meeting aimed to present the National Plan by the team from the MMA's Bioeconomy Secretariat and its convergence with the MDA's programs, especially the National Program for Strengthening Socio-biodiversity, currently under development, and the MDS's programs related to the Food Acquisition Program (PAA), Rural Development, and Cisterns,” explains Laura Souza, executive secretary of ÓSocioBio.
public inquiries
Another topic highlighted at the meeting was the holding of public consultations, by biome, which should take place from February 2024 onwards, to listen to and gather contributions from indigenous peoples, traditional peoples and communities, and family farmers. “For ÓSocioBio, holding consultations with the engagement of these peoples is what will differentiate the effectiveness of this public policy. During the group work, the main strategies that our network can use, through its organizations, to support the mobilization of the Ministry of the Environment were identified,” adds Laura Souza.
ÓSocioBio will participate in the mobilization processes and in the development of materials and dynamics to ensure that public consultations are effective. In addition, a Working Group (WG) was formed with the participation of the ministries involved in the initiative and with three representatives from civil society: the National Council of Extractivists (CNS), the Network of Traditional Peoples and Communities (Rede PCT), and the Observatory of Sociobiodiversity Economies (ÓSocioBio).
Dione Torquato, general secretary of the CNS, highlighted that for extractive populations, who manage natural resources to generate income, it is important to consider the development of instruments that can value the economies of socio-biodiversity. “We depend on this economy of collecting fruits, medicinal plants, and seeds. And this contributes to the conservation of biodiversity without degrading nature,” he stated. “The major bottleneck is to strategically incorporate this into the plan, so that the concepts discussed transform the realities of those who live in these territories.”
Text: Dominik Giusti/ISPN Communications Office