Forest Zone highlights Amazonian solutions for sustainable development
With the theme "Bioeconomy and Sustainable Development", the meeting brought together researchers, public managers, community leaders, and entrepreneurs who presented transformative experiences in forest management, sustainable tourism, and environmental recovery in the State of Pará.
The second day of the Forest Zone program, an event promoted by the Institute of Forest Development and Biodiversity (Ideflor-Bio) alongside COP30, reinforced the role of the Amazon as a protagonist in the transition to a green economy. With the theme "Bioeconomy and Sustainable Development", the meeting brought together researchers, public managers, community leaders, and entrepreneurs who presented transformative experiences in forest management, sustainable tourism, and environmental recovery in the State of Pará.
Right in the early hours of the morning, the audience was invited to reflect on the potential of low-cost sustainable practices in recovering native vegetation, in a lecture given by the director of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences (ICA) of the Federal Rural University of the Amazon (UFRA), Gracialda Ferreira, Gustavo Schwart (Embrapa Eastern Amazon), and Divino Silvério (UFRA). The discussions highlighted that innovation and simplicity can walk hand in hand in the restoration of degraded ecosystems, generating lasting social and environmental benefits.
The program continued with the panel "Sustainable Tourism: Knowing to Preserve", presented by Letícia Lima, and with the presentation by the director of Forest Chain Development at Ideflor-Bio, Vicente Paiva Neto, about the PROSAF Project, which has promoted the recovery of degraded areas in different regions of Pará. Also in the morning, the manager of the Administrative Region of Marajó, Hugo Deleon, highlighted the advances in Sustainable Solid Waste Management in the Environmental Protection Area (APA) of the Marajó Archipelago, an initiative that combines environmental education and community leadership to reduce local impacts.
Second block - During the afternoon, the presentations addressed topics such as the bioeconomy restoration chains, with Douglas Costa, and ecotourism in state conservation units, presented by the manager of the Administrative Region of Belém at Ideflor-Bio, Júlio Meyer. According to him, ecotourism is one of the most effective ways to engage the population in conservation. "When people know and experience the forest, they become its defenders. Ecotourism is a bridge between knowledge and care, between the visitor and the territory," he stated.
The day concluded with the presentation "From Seed to Agroforestry Systems", by the manager of Production and Support for Forest Productive Arrangements at Ideflor-Bio, Laura Dias, who showcased the PROSAF experience in forest restoration, and with the panel from the NGO Água é Vida, which demonstrated simple and accessible solutions for water treatment in Amazonian communities. The talks reinforced the role of scientific knowledge combined with local knowledge in creating sustainable pathways for the region's development.
Diversity - With a plural and integrative program, the second day of the Forest Zone reinforced Pará's role as a showcase for Amazonian solutions for the planet. Among local experiences and global perspectives, the event demonstrated that bioeconomy is more than a concept; it is a concrete practice that is already transforming territories, strengthening communities, and inspiring new ways to coexist with the forest.
For the president of Ideflor-Bio, Nilson Pinto, the Forest Zone is a symbolic and strategic space for Pará in the environmental agenda of COP30. "The Forest Zone reinforces Pará's leadership and shows that it is possible to integrate science, public policies, and communities in building concrete solutions for the climate. It is Pará showing the world that development and conservation can walk together," he emphasized. He added that the event reflects the commitment of the Government of Pará and Ideflor-Bio to a sustainable future, where the living forest and the appreciation of biodiversity are the foundations for socio-environmental progress.
