Bio-diversity

This project was developed to offer support to the preparations for the Global Workshop on Commercialization of Eco-Social Agroextrctivist Production, to be organized by both the Ministry of Agrarian Development (MDA) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The goal is to enable the construction and experimentation of a methodology to be used in the Global Workshop at a national stage. SGP Brazil specializes in projects favoring sustainable use of biodiversity. 116 of the 156 projects supported up to 2004 concern production, sustainable use and commercialization of agricultural and wild collection products based on biodiversity. All of these projects are located in the Cerrado, geographical focus of SGP Brazil. During the program s ten years of existence, some lessons have been learned. A summary of these lessons was presented during the Environment Week in June 2004 at the UNDP CO, identifying the main problems and possible solutions. Drawing from experience and discussions held up to this point, the following transversal and sector-specific subjects are proposed for specific sessions: Organization of the Production. For and non-profit organizations; associations, cooperatives, companies and combinations; possibilities for donations and credit; professionalization and participation; social control of company organization; partnerships with companies; micro-credit, working capital and rotating funds; subsidies, donations and incentives; productive chains and local productive arrangements; capacity-building and assistance. Small-scale Technologies. Social technologies; technologies for small-farming or community farming and small agro-industries; mobile processing units; decentralization of primary processing; public and private financing of facilities and equipment; conformity to official standards. Large and Small Markets. Raw materials or finished products; niche or mass market; business plans; direct sales; local fairs; institutional markets, supermarkets; bargaining power; fair trade; e-commerce; exports; consumer organization. Registration and Certification. Municipal, state and federal inspection systems; sanitary, environmental, professional and tax regulations; compliance or not; exemptions; how rules or their applicability can be changed; organic certification; participative certification or by audit; certification of origin; socio-environmental certification; brands; compulsory or voluntary. Social Control. Social control of initiatives; distribution of results; community rights to genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge; benefit sharing; patents and collective registration; product and process protection; networks and interchange. Environmental Sustainability. Ecological functions; characterizing production as predatory or sustainable; alternatives to deforestation. Fruit. Native and exotic species; cultivation, wild collection and management; agroforestry systems; recovery of degraded areas; access to resources in public and private land; free fruit. Medicinal and Aromatic Plants. Domestic and community use; small pharmaceutical industry; green pharmacy; perfume, cosmetics and condiment alternatives. Animal Breeding. Native and exotic bees; wild animals; ecological functions (pollination and dispersion of seeds). Domestic Production. Organic or ecologically-based production; agrobiodiversity; small domestic animals. Handicrafts. Raw materials; author recognition or anonimity; quality control; markets.

Brazil