German-Brazilian bioeconomy cooperation
In the Marina da Glória in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, numerous South American and international exhibitors presented themselves at GreenRio 2023 from Aug 31 to Sep 2, 2023. Germany was also represented with a stand. The fair, which has been taking place since 2012, is one of the leading South American bioeconomy fairs where local and international exhibitors present innovative approaches, e.g. to sustainable rural development, (organic) agriculture, animal husbandry and the Blue Economy. In addition, scientific cooperations and civil society initiatives are presented. Through exchange of experiences and active cooperation, the participants can jointly develop their understanding of innovative approaches in the bioeconomy and the corresponding structures.
The German delegation attending this year's GreenRio was led by Claudia Müller, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). The members of the delegation visited the conference and numerous specialist events held as part of the fair, e.g. to exchange views on the results of the German-Brazilian bioeconomy cooperation and to discuss possible formats for further cooperation in science and administration.
The German-Brazilian Agricultural Policy Dialogue (APD), funded by the BMEL and implemented by IAK Agrar Consulting GmbH (IAK), organised five of these specialist events. Particularly noteworthy here is the hybrid event on the topic of organic farming in Germany and Brazil. About 100 participants (on site and online) talked about strategies and processes of Germany and the new Brazilian government in organic agriculture. The event was moderated by Ingo Melchers, project manager of the German-Brazilian APD. In his summary, Mr Melchers emphasised that organic agriculture has meanwhile developed into a macro-trend in both countries and that there can no longer be any talk of an economic niche. Ms Müller concluded by emphasising that the dialogue between conventional and organic farms is an important approach to the sustainable development of agriculture as a whole and that both sides can benefit from each other.