FAO and ACTO present USD 29.3 million investment program to promote an Amazonian Bioeconomy

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) presented a USD 29.3 million investment program designed to consolidate the Amazonian bioeconomy by strengthening connectivity and the use of technology in the region.

The proposal, presented during the 2026 Hand-in-Hand Initiative Investment Forum, held as part of the World Food Forum organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), aims to contribute to inclusive transformation and improve the livelihoods of its populations. Its implementation will cover target territories across the eight countries of the Amazon: Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.

The program aims to directly benefit 5,000 producer families and improve the conditions of another 45,000 people by establishing 100 digital ecosystems. These will help strengthen connectivity infrastructure, facilitate access to digital literacy and connect Amazonian producers with a wider range of services, such as digital banking and e-commerce.

Additionally, the program includes the application of traceability technology for non-timber forest products, with the aim of improving productivity, aligning local value chains with international market requirements, and increasing employment and income generation.

The program was designed based on geospatial, biophysical and socioeconomic data and analysis provided by the Hand-in-Hand Initiative, and responds to the commitments made by the eight ACTO member countries in the 2023 Belém Declaration and the 2025 Bogotá Declaration.

Rene Orellana, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighted the importance of strategic investments in realizing sustainable development opportunities: “the Amazon region is well positioned to increase its relevance within the global bioeconomy market, if the right types of investments and strategic actions are set into motion in the short term. ”

Meanwhile, Luiz Beduschi, FAO Senior Policy Offer for Rural Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, provided details of the program and emphasized that “the adoption of digital technologies in agriculture can increase productivity by 20% to 30%. The traceability of Amazonian bioproducts will be one of the most significant challenges to address in order to achieve the desired transition toward a new Amazonian bioeconomy.”

In this regard, Edith Paredes, Administrative Director of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), reinforced the importance of collaboration, stating that “we are convinced that cooperation, an integrated vision, and collective action are fundamental to addressing the political, social, economic, and environmental challenges facing the Amazon region.”

The session also addressed the value of evidence in promoting sustainable solutions in Amazonian territories, with the participation of the World Resources Institute (WRI), which presented findings on the global dimension of the bioeconomy in Brazil’s Legal Amazon.

Ongoing actions in the Amazon region

The program presentation was accompanied by a panel discussion featuring Oscar Mario Justiniano Pinto, Minister of Productive, Rural Development and Water of Bolivia; Juan Carlos Sánchez, Minister of Productive, Rural Development and Water of Bolivia; Juan Carlos Sánchez, Vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment of Ecuador; José Gregorio Briceño, Vice Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Processing and Distribution of Venezuela; and Manuel Layseca Ortigas, Vice Minister of Agricultural Development Policies and Supervision of Peru.

The panelists reaffirmed their commitment to developing an Amazonian bioeconomy and seeking solutions that reconcile production and conservation in the Amazon while improving the quality of life of its inhabitants.

They also highlighted the opportunities in their respective territories and the need to add value to local production chains, improve access to technical assistance, and promote innovative financing mechanisms, among other aspects.