FAO and ACTO signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen the bioeconomy and food security in the Amazon

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Permanent Secretariat of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen their collaboration in promoting the bioeconomy and sustainable development in the Amazon region.

Rene Orellana Halkyer, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, and Martín von Hildebrand, Secretary-General of ACTO, signed the agreement.

The three-year memorandum establishes a framework for collaboration to advance joint actions and knowledge exchange between the two institutions to support Amazonian countries in transforming their agrifood systems and sustainably managing natural resources in rural territories.

The partnership seeks to address persistent challenges in the Amazon, such as poverty, food insecurity, and environmental degradation, while promoting sustainable economic opportunities through the bioeconomy, responsible biodiversity use, and strengthened food security. The partnership also aims to improve the well-being of people in the eight ACTO member states (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela).

Priority Areas of Cooperation

The memorandum identifies four priority areas for collaboration:

• Food security and nutrition: Strengthening access to healthy and nutritious foods across the Amazon region.
• Sustainable bioeconomy: Promoting productive innovations that generate economic opportunities compatible with the conservation of the Amazon biome.
• Hydrobiological Resources: Advancing sustainable fisheries management and the responsible use of aquatic biodiversity.
• Integrated Fire Management: Strengthening capacities and regional cooperation for the prevention, monitoring, and sustainable management of fires in Amazon ecosystems.
• The fourth area is natural resource governance, which involves strengthening the sustainable management of land and natural resources in the Amazon.
  

Implementation and coordination

The agreement includes the development of joint work plans that will facilitate knowledge exchange, capacity development, and the identification of investment and technical cooperation opportunities.

The institutions will also maintain regular coordination mechanisms to follow up on agreed-upon activities. Specific projects involving resource mobilization will be implemented through additional agreements between the parties.