FAO Calls for Integrating Food Security into Amazon Conservation

Convened by the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) participated in the first Donors’ Roundtable for the Amazon, a forum seeking financing mechanisms and resource mobilization for a sustainable transition in the region.

Luiz Beduschi, Senior Policy Officer for Rural Development at FAO, underscored the importance of integrating food security into the conservation agenda for the biome. “Food security in the Amazon is directly linked to the conservation of its ecosystems. We cannot ensure sustainable food without protecting the forests and soils that support local communities,” he emphasized.

Beduschi also noted that “FAO prioritizes combining efforts and building synergies to provide solutions for inclusive rural transformation in the Amazon region. Our work focuses on coordinating among member countries; direct collaboration with ACTO, through support for the working groups; and joint participation with ACTO in global forums, as happened at the 2024 Investment Forum.”

Finally, during the meeting, Beduschi presented the Amazon Bioeconomy Investment Program, developed with the Hand-in-Hand Methodology, to the donors. The program promotes an approach centered on establishing solid partnerships to accelerate the transformation of agrifood systems.

The Donors’ Roundtable is a platform for strategic coordination in preparation for COP30, within the framework of the Belém Declaration, to consolidate a comprehensive approach to preserving the Amazon and its role in global climate stability. It seeks to align investment priorities and thus maximize the impact of resources aimed at protecting the Amazon, as well as strengthen the capacities of countries to face environmental and social challenges.

The Belém Declaration, signed in August 2023 during the Amazon Summit by the eight ACTO member countries (Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela), establishes a common agenda for the region and defines 113 objectives and cross-cutting principles aimed at strengthening both the protection of the biome and its sustainable development.

The gathering in Brasilia included representatives from cooperation agencies, development banks, member countries, and multilateral organizations such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Bank (WB), the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Financial Fund for the Development of the River Plate Basin (FONPLATA), and the embassies of the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, the Netherlands, France, Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru, among other key stakeholders.

During the event, participants discussed how to optimize available funding to improve the efficiency of project implementation and presented their investment programs for biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, and the promotion of sustainable economies.

The Roundtable was held prior to the meeting of the presidents of the Amazon countries, which will take place in Colombia in August, to define a common roadmap to be presented at the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) on climate change in November, in Belém.

ACTO Secretary General Martin von Hildebrand emphasized the urgency of joint action to prevent the Amazon rainforest from reaching a point of no return. “We are at a tipping point. International cooperation is key to preventing the collapse of the Amazon ecosystem and ensuring the well-being of the communities that depend on it,” he warned.

From the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), Cecilia Malaguti highlighted the need for greater regional integration. “It is essential that Amazon countries have dialogue platforms to share effective experiences and solutions,” she affirmed.