Brazil, as we know well, is a country of continental proportions that has the greatest biodiversity on Earth. More than 116,000 animal species and 46,000 plant species have been cataloged to date and are spread across six terrestrial biomes and three large marine ecosystems. We also have the largest freshwater reserve in the world, according to data from United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). With such a rich diversity, it is important for Brazil’s growth to invest in an economy that is based on the sustainable use of its natural resources. And this is where the bio economy comes in.
As defined by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), the bio economy is an industrial production model based on the use of biological resources that aims to offer sustainable solutions for production systems in order to replace fossil and non-renewable resources, as well as slowing down the extreme effects of climate change.
The bio economy focuses on human health, water, energy, food safety, renewable chemical products, increasing agricultural and energy productivity, developing industrial processes with less environmental impact, and biotechnology-based companies. It is considered the science of the future in the present: by meeting the economic needs of production systems in the present, while also increasing the capacity of all species in the future.
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the bio economy represents a global market worth 2 trillion euros and supports approximately 22 million jobs. Research carried out by the organization indicates that, by 2030, the bio-economy should contribute 2.7% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of member countries – a proportion that could be even higher in nations like Brazil, which has a vast biodiversity and public policies aimed at strengthening production chains that use natural resources sustainably and consciously.
For The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the bioeconomy plays an important role in Brazil when it recognizes the ecological limits of biomes and adopts a production frontier that guarantees the sustainability of activities without affecting the conservation of biological and socio-cultural diversity.
How can tourism be part of the bio-economy?
The transition to a sustainable economy is a fundamental catalyst for economic growth and job creation. In this context, “green jobs” are those generated in activities that contribute to preserving or restoring the environment.
Ecotourism, a tourist activity that sustainably uses natural and cultural heritage, and community-based tourism, a type of tourism in which the community organizes and provides services for visitors, are examples of the tourism sector that uses the bio-economy as one of their central pillars.
For the Sustainable Amazon Foundation (FAS), tourism planned and led by local communities is one of the economic forces that is growing in the Amazon and that helps in the development of the Standing Forest Program. This program carries out initiatives aimed at strengthening the bioeconomy, focusing on environmental preservation, food security, and community empowerment, contributing to improving the quality of life of the Amazon’s riverside inhabitants, in line with the objectives of sustainable development.
Some of our work
Raízes has carried out a number of community-based tourism and sustainable tourism projects which have helped businesses operating in the bioeconomy. We are currently seeking partnerships for the project Strengthening Community-Based Tourism in Belém, the islands, and the surrounding area, which aims to ensure that small entrepreneurs already established in the capitals are supported and become competitive in order to take on the tourist offer generated by COP 2030. Belém will host the event, and we hope that visits to communities will be improved and expanded.
Boosting the bioeconomy also requires individuals and entities trained to develop technologies, solutions and facilitate the dissemination of this knowledge. Therefore, a coordinated effort is essential in terms of public policies that promote the bioeconomy, involving the various economic sectors and attracting the interest of the private sector.
This attraction, in turn, includes improving markets related to the bioeconomy and stimulating competitiveness, with tourism demand in mind. These objectives can only be achieved by promoting knowledge, and empowering individuals, companies, and institutions to adopt more sustainable practices.
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