The Observatory of Sociobiodiversity Economies (ÓSocioBio) was part of the online workshop program on Friday (12) “Forest food systems and their contributions to food and nutritional security”, held by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-UN), through the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean. The online event aimed to discuss the urgency of developing new food systems that consider the potential of forests.
This theme, present in global agendas such as the Paris Agreement and the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), is one of the guidelines of ÓSocioBio – which brings together socio-environmental organizations from civil society, social movements, community-based enterprises and cooperatives, and networks from the fields, forests, and waters. The executive secretary of the observatory, Laura Souza, presented the dynamics of the initiative, which is also geared towards defending food security and influencing public policies.
“Participating in events like this, alongside public managers and researchers from countries such as Chile and Costa Rica, for example, gives us the opportunity to discuss the agenda at a global level. In our activities here in Brazil, that is precisely what we are doing, alongside other entities: engaging in dialogue about conservation and protection policies for territories and their peoples, through the economies and socio-productive practices of each biome,” says Laura.
According to the FAO, an estimated 5,76 billion people, from diverse socioeconomic groups and geographical regions, use non-timber forest products. Around 50 wild species are used worldwide for food, medicine, energy, income generation, and other practices related to cultural and territorial identities, representing a fundamental resource for half the world's population and approximately 70% of vulnerable populations globally.
“Ten thousand species are of vital importance as food, especially for indigenous peoples and rural communities. Non-timber forest products play an important role in human health, contributing to a quality diet by providing vital nutrients, especially for women, children and vulnerable segments of society,” argues the FAO.
Non-timber forest products
According to the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), non-timber forest products "are all products derived from the forest that are not wood, such as: leaves, fruits, flowers, seeds, nuts, palm hearts, roots, bulbs, branches, bark, fibers, essential oils, fixed oils, latex, resins, gums, vines, herbs, bamboo, ornamental plants, fungi and products of animal origin".
Therefore, forest management, with the sustainable use of natural resources, is among the most important strategies for maintaining forest food systems, which contribute to the preservation of biodiversity and support livelihoods. Furthermore, they are fundamental for mitigating climate change today.
Text: Dominik Giusti/ISPN Press Office