The Role of the Food Industry in the Conservation of Sociobiodiversity
* By Thaís Hiramoto
Home to the greatest biodiversity on the planet, Brazil shelters more than 20% of terrestrial flora and fauna species. However, it is mistaken to think that all this wealth is limited to natural factors: the country is also home to around 200 indigenous peoples and various traditional communities that live in harmony with the forest to ensure its survival, such as rubber tappers, caiçaras, quilombolas, extractivists, riverside dwellers, fishermen, and family farmers.
It was from this harmonious coexistence that the concept of sociobiodiversity emerged, which defines the relationship between the productive chains of the forests and the traditional peoples of the region. The goal is to conserve them while simultaneously promoting the sustainable use of biodiversity products – many of which are utilized by the food industry.
To cite a few examples, we can highlight butters and oils obtained from fruits and seeds such as cupuaçu, Brazil nut, licuri coconut, açaí, and passion fruit. These can be incorporated into everyday traditional recipes to make breads, cakes, cookies, sauces, and mayonnaises, aiming to nutritionally fortify foods while providing unique flavors.
However, in this context of sociobiodiversity, what is the role of companies in the food sector? Certainly, it is not limited to using natural ingredients in the composition of final products or merely the concern with their health benefits, but rather a crucial factor: how the raw materials are harvested from nature. Companies must ensure that this process occurs sustainably, so that forests remain standing and there are sufficient natural resources for future generations.
Another relevant issue is direct partnership with local communities, who are generally responsible for planting, harvesting, and gathering the fruits. Maintaining this mode of operation not only conserves the biomes but also provides local producers with employment and a fair, dignified source of income. More than that, it allows them to discover the true value of the living forest and thus act in its defense, against deforestation, and in favor of local and sustainable economic development.
Given this reasoning, there is only one conclusion: increasingly, food industry companies need to consider social and environmental factors in their operational strategies, with innovative solutions, economic viability, and an understanding of their importance in the movement to conserve the full wealth of Brazil’s sociobiodiversity.
* Thaís Hiramoto is a sustainability specialist at Concepta Ingredients, a Business Unit of the Sabará Group specializing in the development of natural and technological solutions focused on the food, beverage, animal nutrition, and veterinary pharmaceutical industries. Since May 2017, Concepta Ingredients has offered the food service market a line of sustainable butters and vegetable oils, targeted at hotels, restaurants, and cafés (Horeca).
