For Rodrigo Lima, agroicon, the problem is the generic view of the use of genetics for payment for all countries. As an example, he cites the search for zebu genetics from India. "If ABCZ goes there in search of genetics to improve squad, will have to pay, it's in their law." Similarly, if any industry accesses Brazilian biodiversity, as in the Amazon, it will potentially have to pay as well, as it meets the requirements of our law. "There is a rule for this and the rules are established by the countries under the Nagoya Protocol," he explains.

"The quality of agricultural production is better with resilient and harmonious ecosystems." This is how Frineia Rezende, executive director of TNC Brazil, summarizes the importance of ensuring biodiversity for agriculture. And this is one of the topics discussed at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) until December 19 in Montreal, Canada.

According to WWF-Brazil, the accelerated loss of species is currently between 1,000 and 10,000 times above the natural extinction rate.

At COP15, the focus is on reaching an agreement on the Global Biodiversity Framework, a set of 22 goals to guide countries through 2050. One is the discussion of the so-called 30x30, a global initiative to protect 30% of the planet's land and oceans by 2030.

The goals deal with the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and also the agenda of genetic resources and benefit sharing, in addition to the traditional knowledge associated with the use of these resources. In practice, actions such as the preservation of pollinators, among others, are widely discussed from a technical-scientific point of view.

"Pollination is one of the ecosystem services. If I impact a particular environment, this will reflect the existence of the bees and, consequently, will impact the production of agricultural species", clarifies Frineia. She recalls that in 2007, through a disappearance of bees in the United States, the country spent "billions of dollars to pollinate almond production."

However, there are disagreements about the 30x30 proposal, according to Rodrigo Lima, general director of Agroicon. He explains that while Brazil defends the importance of each country having 30% of its biodiversity protected, the European Union is in favor of protecting 30% of the entire planet. "If the goal is to maximize, expand the conserved areas, if it stays in the global proposal, less area will be conserved," he says.

Brazilian relevance

In this context, Brazil has great weight in COP15, Frineia Rezende points out. Much because of the creation of the Biodiversity Law (13.123/2015). "Brazil is at the forefront of almost all countries, including those with mega biodiversity, in relation to having legislation to access genetic resources and benefit sharing," he says.

On the other hand, Rodrigo Lima regrets that the country participates in COP15 being again charged for the high rates of deforestation. "This is notorious, because deforestation is a major drive for biodiversity loss," he said. He points out that Brazil has great potential to be an example in restoration measures, but it is necessary to set the goals well and put them into practice.

Frineia Rezende comments that the moment of transition of government sparks an alert about what commitments will be made in Montreal. To this end, it is in favor of the engagement of civil society, subnational governments and financial institutions.

"With the arrival of a new government profile, which comes with a discourse of legal and illegal zero deforestation, we can have progress. The question is how to qualify the command and control and the traceability point of what goes to the consumer, including the European Union", he projects.

Nagoya Protocol

This is Brazil's first year at COP15 after ratifying the Nagoya Protocol, an agreement signed to discuss the distribution of benefits on the genetic origin of biodiversity. With this, the country "manages, as national sovereignty, to enter the negotiation to discuss how the application of the Nagoya Protocol will be and will participate in how the benefits sharing processes will actually be", points out the director of TNC.

The Biodiversity Law, previously, was only worth it within Brazil. From the moment the protocol is ratified, other countries need to comply with national legislation. Still, the point of attention in this COP15 is how the distribution of benefits between nations will look: who will pay for what, and from which time frame.

"It is one thing to access to genetic resource of cambuci, araçá, rosewood, there are no varieties of species, because they are in Brazil. Now, rice, corn, beans, soybeans, coffee, the species have been selected, modified and adapted for certain countries", frineia exemplifies.

For Rodrigo Lima, agroicon, the problem is the generic view of the use of genetics for payment for all countries. As an example, he cites the search for zebu genetics from India. "If ABCZ goes there in search of genetics to improve squad, will have to pay, it's in their law." Similarly, if any industry accesses Brazilian biodiversity, as in the Amazon, it will potentially have to pay as well, as it meets the requirements of our law. "There is a rule for this and the rules are established by the countries under the Nagoya Protocol," he explains.

"We only have to pay for Chinese soybeans if China passes a law that requires it, and we never approved it. And if China can enforce her law in the countries that have held soybean germplasm for years. Is it trivial for her to do that? No way," he opines.

Therefore, for him, cop15's priority is to create a global benefit-sharing mechanism and how the use of genetic sequence from the originating country will work from now on. "Is it possible to trace the origin of the genetic resource linked to the country of origin to tell where that genetics came from? If possible, we follow what the Convention [on Biological Diversity] and the Nagoya Protocol indicate, respecting the time frame."

Recognized Atlantic Forest

As a good example to be shared in Canada, the UN recognized the work of forest restoration of the Atlantic Forest as one of the 10 Restoration Reference Initiatives. The biome is home to more than 70% of the Brazilian population.

The appointment recognizes that restoration is an activity that goes beyond tree planting, promotes multiple benefits for nature and people, and generates work and income. Proof of this is the report of Ellen Souza, fifth generation at the head of a 50-hectare property in Socorro (SP) that produces bananas, avocado, eucalyptus and coffee.

In the daily treatment in the field, she sees that the greater balance of biodiversity provides better quality of the crop, with lower incidence of pests and diseases and less need for the use of pesticides. "This impacts the natural flavor of the grain. Whoever buys our product recognizes all the work we do. Beyond that, it's our way of contributing to a legacy of a better future for my daughter, my family. To combat climate change that already affects us," he says.

Worldwide, there were 156 proposals competing for the title of World Restoration Reference, which together represent more than 96 million hectares restored and with the potential to generate more than 1.5 million green jobs.

"The restoration of the Atlantic Forest through the engagement of local communities is a powerful reminder that nature can recover when it has a chance and can bring enormous benefits to the process," says Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

Source: Um só Planeta