BioFach Latin America Seminar
 UNCTAD - São Paulo - Brazil
June 14, 2004
 

Planeta Orgânico took part in the 11th UNCTAD meeting in São Paulo, in order to present the successful case of the Public-Private Partnership between Nuremberg Global Fairs and DEG, which was the 2002/2003 BioFach-Brazil Project. The presentation took place on June 14, 2004, at Novotel Center Norte, where Rosina Guerra addressed the representatives of various companies and countries.

 
The Session “Partnerships for Development – the Role Played by the German Government” was opened by Karl Sauvant, director of the UNCTAD Investment Division.  Sauvant spoke about the need for private enterprise to participate in the promotion of sustainable development; in this he received the strong support of the next speaker, Ben J.A. van Schalk (CEO of DaimlerChrysler Brazil).

 

Michael Hofmann, director of the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, declared that it is up to private companies to take the initiative of developing projects that will contribute towards social and environmental promotion, rather than waiting for a government invitation to act in this mission. "If companies present good projects, there will certainly be good will on the part of governments to support these projects", said Hofmann.
  

Next, Rosina Guerra (Planeta Orgânico) presented the successful case of the Public-Private Partnership between Nuremberg Global Fairs and DEG, which was the 2002/2003 BioFach-Brazil Project.

Rosina gave an overview of the organic sector in Brazil; a summary of the 40 BioFach Brazil Seminars held in 2002 and 2003; the concrete results of these meetings; the success of the 2003 BioFach Conference; and the prospects for BioFach Latin America, which will take place in Rio de Janeiro on September 8 to 10, 2004.

 

Among the results of the 2002/2003 BioFach Brazil Seminars, Rosina pointed out the closer relationship between producers and chefs, with a higher number of restaurants offering organic products in their menus, many of them buying directly from producers.

Another example of a positive result was the bringing together of governments and producers, resulting in the inclusion of organic food in school meals in towns that had not previously mentioned organic products in their public policies.  

 

After the presentation given by Rosina Guerra, there was a panel chaired by the rector of the University of Pará, Thomas Mitschein. In addition to the speakers, Marcello Linguitte (Director of the Ethos Institute) and Paulo Guilherme Correa (Economist at the World Bank) also took part in this panel. Thomas Mitschein is also the coordinator of POEMA (an Amazon-based poverty and environmental program).

Ben J.A. van Schalk (CEO of DaimlerChrysler Brazil) stressed that the positive result of the partnership between DaimlerBenz and POEMA should serve as an example for other partnerships.

 

The project referred to by Van Schalk is the production of coconut fiber which has been sold to multi-national companies in the automobile sector, such as DaimlerBenz, Scania and General Motors (which use the fiber in the backs and cushions of car seats), ensuring over three thousand direct and indirect jobs and contributing to income distribution in needy municipalities, such as Ponta de Pedras, in the Marajó archipelago.

The consensus in this panel, reinforcing what Karl Sauvant had said in the opening ceremony, was the need for companies in the  private sector to take the initiative, to present good proposals and to take action that would truly help less favored communities.  

Dominikus Collenberg (Director of the  AGE/DED/GTZ Cooperation Project) was instrumental in bringing together the participants in this session, taking care to ensure that the result of this meeting was the success acknowledged by those present.

 

After the session “Partnerships for Development - The role of the German Government”, some of those present contacted Rosina in order to learn more about BioFach Latin America, which will take place in Rio de Janeiro on September 8 to 10, 2004, at Hotel Glória. There was a great deal of curiosity about the products to be exhibited at this Fair.

Planeta Orgânico’s presentation on the DEG/Nuremberg Global Fairs partnership also called the attention of the media, many of which were interested to learn more about BioFach Latin America and the organic sector in Brazil.

 

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