Session organizer: COICA (Fanny Kuiru & Marbe Luz Becerra), IADB (Tatiana Schor)

This table will discuss what is needed for an economic framework that incorporates the sustainable use of biological resources, traditional knowledge, and cultural practices of indigenous and traditional communities to thrive. It acknowledges their long-standing knowledge systems, practices, and innovations related to the use of biological resources. This bioeconomy approach aims to promote the preservation of biodiversity, ecosystems, and cultural heritage, address climate change, while also generating economic opportunities for these communities and  contributing to the broader goals of sustainability and resilience. Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLC) are essential leaders and partners in protecting biodiversity and mitigating and adapting to climate change. However, significant barriers inhibit IPLCs from fostering the local economies they need and deserve. This table will address how  IPLCs can negotiate effective investments to foster their local economies that uphold their rights, increase access to funding, and accelerate their standing as equal partners in negotiations with investors, project developers, and other actors.

Session organizer: NESsT (Renata Truzzi)  

Despite growing interest in bioeconomy enterprises, several significant barriers hinder the establishment and scale-up of successful models. This session intends to unpack the most important barriers and solutions. Planned participants include PPA, FEPIPA, Centro Amazonía and a variety of local businesses (Assoab, ASPROC, ATAIC, Cooaprime, ASCAMPA) 

Session organizer: World Bank (Tanya Lisa Yudelman)

Mobilizing private sector financing is essential to promote bioeconomy at scale, and governments and regulators, supported by financial institutions and multilateral development banks, hold an important key to mobilizing such finance at the scale needed to transform the way we build, produce, and consume to protect nature while fostering sustainable poverty reduction. Planned participants include a variety of private and public financial institutions at the national, regional and international levels as well as multiple philanthropies. 

Session organizer: Science Panel for the Amazon (Carlos Nobre)

Investments in science, technology, and innovation (ST&I) have been historically low in the Amazon region. Despite being the most biodiverse region on the Planet, products from the Amazon are often underutilized or unknown to national and global markets. Moreover, products derived from genetic resources and germplasm from the Amazon have been developed and marketed outside the region. This is an under-explored opportunity for sustainable business innovation to add value locally and increase their share in the trade of these resources. Planned participants include local and national universities, regional and international research centers as well as a variety of local, national and international think tanks. 

Session organizer: WWF-Perú (Kurt Holle) 

Deforestation in the Amazon, throughout the Panamazon, is still closely associated with the production of commodities, especially meat, in all countries, Peru, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, soy in Brazil, cocoa, palm oil in Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador. 

We need a new economic paradigm for commodities in the Amazon that rapidly moves this sector into a deforestation-free, more productive and socially inclusive one. Centrally this sector must not unfairly compete with the bioeconomy. For this to happen, we need a revised legal and policy framework, conscient consumers as well as public and private champions. This roundtable will discuss the most promising instruments for accelerating this transition. Planned participants include responsible business representatives, producers associations and regulators.

Session organizer: WRI-Brasil (Toni Lindau) and IADB (Tatiana Schor) 

The historical occupation and urbanization in the Amazon can be characterized by complex and multifaceted processes, with contradictions and paradoxes. These resulted in physical and cultural disconnections between the urban areas and rural or forested landscapes. Such disconnections are reflected in local economies, food (in)security, healthcare, schooling, and infrastructure. This roundtable will explore the role that cities worldwide play in bridging production/consumption gaps of local products, fostering innovation (with emphasis on bioeconomy), and raising overall economic productivity. It will also discuss ways to address the disconnection between cities, the forest and its inhabitants.Planned participants include sub-national governments, cities´groupings and associations and a variety of local and regional institutes.

Session organizer: CI (Gustavo Souza) 

The session will include a discussion on how the bioeconomy sector can support the implementation of the commitments made under the UNFCCC and CBD, particularly the opportunity to update countries’ National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) following the adoption of the Global Biodiversity Framework under the CBD. This session will explore different policy windows for transboundary policies in support of the Panamazon bioeconomy and how collaboration among countries can be strengthened by improving the political and policy governance of the region. Planned participants include government representatives at different levels as well as international organizations.

Session organizer: Igarapé Institute (Melina Risso), WRI (Ruth Noguerón) 

There is growing awareness across the public, private, non-profit and financial sectors that new innovative governance models and tools are needed to face current  challenges and successfully shift from an ecosystem of  environmental crimes to an ecosystem based on sustainable businesses. This session aims to shed light on these issues  and brings together specialists from different areas to share their perspectives in order to strengthen the debate and propose effective actions to combat risks and illegalities across supply chains and pave the way to improve transparency and accountability, as well as raise the standards of ESG indicators and develop regulatory proposals that have the capacity to foster the economic complexity of the region and reduce the hindrances to green and responsible investments. Planned participants include local producers, national regulators and international governments.  

Session organizers: WRI (Adriana Lobo), Latimpacto (Juan Ferreira), Uma Concertação pela Amazônia (Lívia Pagotto)

There are numerous initiatives on bioeconomy coexisting in the Amazon region that would benefit from being aligned and working in a more integrated manner to generate more impact and efficiencies. This session aims at identifying what initiatives exist of a collective nature and suggest solutions for better integration of efforts and resources. The expectation is to create a network or alliance, in case one does not exist, or reinforce and support any existing one, in case already in place.The network of actors to accelerate transition into a new economy, including creation of an information and experience exchange platform, and working groups for continuous policy improvement.