With all eyes fixed on the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow at the end of the month, the Brazilian city of Belém will make history by being the first non-European host of the World BioEconomy Forum this week. The event runs from Monday through Wednesday, gathering speakers from the public and private sectors to discuss sustainability solutions for the Amazon rainforest. Belém is the second-largest city in the Amazon basin.
Since the rise of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro to power, Brazil’s environmental debate has become increasingly polarized, being framed along ideological lines of sovereignty. The goal of the World BioEconomy Forum is to create a science-based discussion on the Amazon, ignoring political platitudes
Speaking to The Brazilian Report, the forum’s founder Jukka Kantola said they have planned to host the event outside of Europe since 2019, but the pandemic got in the way. Brazil — and specifically Belém — became a prime candidate...