Government highlights actions to strengthen cooperativism
About 23% of the population of Pará is linked to some type of cooperative, which represents 11.8% of the GDP of the State of Pará
The Government of Pará, through the Secretary of Economic Development, Mining and Energy (Sedeme), is part of the program for the 5th edition of the Pará Cooperativism Business Fair (Fencoop-2025). The participation includes the presentation of public policies, services to the cooperative sector at a government booth, as well as business rounds on the 25th and 26th, at two times: 4 PM and 7 PM. It is aimed at representatives of companies and supermarket owners interested in prospecting and closing deals directly with producers. Organized by the OCB/PA System, the fair has the support of the Government of Pará, through Sedeme.
Still in the institutional space, a technical team of civil servants provides assistance to the cooperative sector, presenting the main actions and services aimed at the segment with an emphasis on sustainable economic development. Among the services are: guidelines for registration in the Producer Credit; Socioeconomic Inclusion Program (PIS); and support for the organization of productive chains and Local Productive Arrangements.
In total, 112 cooperatives from all regions of the State, distributed in more than 50 booths, highlight the strength of the cooperative model, aligned with the principles of sustainability and competitiveness in the market.
The Secretary of State for Economic Development, Mining and Energy, Paulo Bengtson, participated in the opening ceremony and, during his speech, reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of Pará to strengthen cooperativism in the state. He highlighted that the state administration has been working on creating instruments that encourage the sustainable growth of the sector, through the Cooperative Directorate (Dcoop/Sedeme), boosting the generation of new businesses and contributing to the socioeconomic strengthening of Pará.
On the occasion, the secretary emphasized that Fencoop has been consolidating year after year, with significant growth, more cooperatives joining the movement and becoming one of the fixed events on the calendar of the capital of Pará.
“The cooperative business model impresses with its growth. Currently, about 23% of the population of Pará is linked to some type of cooperative, which represents 11.8% of the GDP of the State of Pará. It is a significant number, showing that this is not just a business model, but a true lifestyle that has been incorporated here in the state.”
Paulo Bengtson also highlighted the importance of cooperation on a global scale, especially in the context of the Amazon COP. “On the eve of the COP, which is only happening thanks to the cooperation between the federal, state, and municipal governments, as well as entities and federations, we see Belém preparing and transforming. Starting in November, we will live the legacy of this great international event on climate change. May we be able to make great deals and seize excellent opportunities today and throughout all the days of this fair,” he emphasized.
The president of the OCB System, Ernandes Raiol, highlighted that Fencoop reaffirms the transformative power of cooperativism in Pará and throughout Brazil. “This edition reinforces the importance of the events planned for 2025, especially after the UN declaration that establishes the year as the International Year of Cooperatives. We bring together cooperatives from all regions of the state, highlighting the diversity, competitiveness, and capacity for innovation of the Pará model,” he emphasized.
Raiol added that Fencoop goes beyond a simple fair. “It is a showcase of our identity, of the productive culture and of the commitment to sustainable development. Cooperativism directly contributes to the 2030 Agenda, with concrete actions aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in areas such as agriculture, health, education, and the environment,” he concluded.
The president of the Agroindustrial Cooperative of Women from Family Agriculture (Cooprima), Joelma Nunes, highlights that Fencoop represents a great opportunity for prospecting new businesses. She reports that Cooprima is made up of 110 family farmers, 85 of whom are women, and has been operating in the market for 10 years. “We started in the municipality of Primavera and today we have already expanded our activities to other locations in the northeastern region of Pará.”
Joelma recalls that, in the beginning, the cooperative received support from the State Government, through the Secretary of Economic Development, Mining and Energy (Sedeme). “This initial help was essential for us to structure our work,” she concluded.
Technical and institutional support for cooperativism
State institutions such as the Bank of the State of Pará (Banpará), the State Agency for Agricultural Defense of Pará (Adepará), the State Secretariats of Environment and Sustainability of Pará (Semas), and Education (Seduc) also present services and actions related to their areas of operation in the government space.
In Pará, data from the OCB-PA System show that cooperatives at the state level already total more than 212 registered and active cooperatives, involving more than 260,000 cooperatives directly and generating nearly 5,000 jobs. Thus, Pará's cooperativism already contributes more than 11% of the State's GDP through the commercialization of products and services from cooperatives present in all 12 integration regions, resulting in more than 1.4 million people impacted directly and indirectly by the commercialization of products and services from cooperatives.
The event was attended by the Director of Cooperativism of Sedeme, Luziane Sena; the General Director of the State Agency for Agricultural Defense of Pará (Adepará), Jamir Macedo; the Coordinator of Government Relations of the OCB System, Eduardo Queiroz; state deputies Fábio Freitas (Republicans), Iran Lima (MDB), and Andréa Xarão (MDB); the president of the Commercial Association of Pará (ACP), Elizabeth Grunvald; the superintendent of the OCB/PA System, Junior Serra; as well as other government representatives and representative entities.
Service: The event was officially opened this Thursday (24), at the Estação das Docas, in Belém, and runs until next Saturday (26), from 3 PM to 10 PM.
