COP30 shines spotlight on sociobioeconomy

“Expensive, horrible, and disconnected from the local culture.” Many attendees of UN climate negotiations could attest to the first two of these statements. But how many have thought about the third? 

COP30 is now taking place in Belem, capital of the state of Pará in the north of Brazil, and the gateway to the Brazilian Amazon.

This is the first UNFCCC ‘conference of the parties’ to serve food sourced from at least 30 per cent family farming, agroecology, and the production of traditional peoples and communities.

Cooperatives

The move has been estimated to be worth more than £470,000 into the region’s rural production, generating income for thousands of families.

The procurement rule, announced by the Brazilian government in June, was the result of a grass-roots campaign by Na Mesa da COP30, a coalition of Brazilian civil society organisations led by the non-profit Regenera Institute and Brazilian think tank Comida do Amanhã.

It advocates for healthier and more diverse food for participants, and also for the strengthening of agricultural practices that respect the forest and the ancestral knowledge of the Amazonian peoples. 

According to the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), which sets the rules for selecting the food service providers for the conference, the commitment must prioritise sustainable-based practices and collective enterprises, and organisations led by women and rural youth.

“This injection of resources is not just a number. It means strengthening cooperatives, associations, small producers, and communities that embrace practices respecting the forest and traditional knowledge,” Maurício Alcântara, director of the Regenera Institute told The Ecologist.

Procurement

“It presents a real opportunity for impact. Bringing family farming and agroecology to the forefront at COP30 shows that another production model is both possible and necessary.”

The campaign had to convince people that the supply chain was sufficient to supply a COP. While they knew that it was, the producers were not adequately visible, so it carried out a mapping exercise of local cooperatives and associations to prove it.

This found at least 80 producer groups, including associations, cooperatives, and productive networks, as well as around 8,000 family farming households, were identified as having potential to supply food for the conference.

The rule applies to the raw ingredients for all meals served at COP30 — whether they are regional Amazonian dishes or international, according to Alcantara. 

It has been modelled on other Brazilian public procurement programmes, such as the National School Meals Program (PNAE) and the National Food Procurement Program (PAA). 

Canhapira

These policies also require a minimum of 30 per cent procurement from family farming and traditional communities, eligibility for which is regulated through the government’s Family Farmer Registry (CAF).