This impact story was originally published by IDH here.
Taking a joint look at the challenges and opportunities that will enable the implementation of a sustainable development agenda for the agricultural and socio-bio-economic value chains in Pará. This is what brought together over 30 representatives of organizations from the public, private and civil society sectors on March 20, in Belém, Pará. The event was organized by IDH and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Brazil with the aim of involving various stakeholders who have interest in the landscape agenda.
Pará has received a lot of attention since the announcement of the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP-30), which will take place in November 2025 in Belém. Since then, various organizations have been rallying to promote debates and create initiatives around this agenda. “This event is an invitation for more organizations to discuss, not only at the COP, but before and after. Pará is a priority for the Embassy,” said Paul Van de Logt, Agricultural Counsellor for Brazil at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The representative of the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services, João Lagüéns, was responsible for the CAR (Rural Environmental Registry) agenda. He spoke about the challenges of implementing public policy management systems.
Paulo Salles, a representative of the Amazon Bio-Business Centre of the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services, spoke of the opportunity to create innovative solutions in the use of natural resources, promoting an economic transition.
Rob Alkemade, head of the GLOBIO platform, which is linked to the Dutch government, also took part in the event. The platform is aimed at finding solutions to reduce the biodiversity loss curve while improving human well-being and supporting the economy.
Mariana Pereira, a representative of the Solidaridad Foundation, closed the panel by encouraging the debate on the need for the local population to be represented in the construction of cooperation agendas and the understanding that results happen in the long term.
Those attending the event engaged in a dialogue to come up with elements to help think about how the landscape approach can deal with the challenges presented. The result was a broad panel with points that can be used to guide the next steps in building this agenda in the state of Pará. The most important takeaway was the acknowledgement that multi-stakeholder initiatives are important, but that valuing local protagonism is essential.
Manuela Maluf Santos, interim executive director of IDH Brasil, added that the organization is working in Pará to support the implementation of a multisectoral landscape program. “We have successful examples of this strategy in several countries. In Brazil, we’ve been supporting this agenda in the state of Mato Grosso since 2016 and now we’ve started a dialog with stakeholders to support Pará in leading this process as well.”