to produce bioenergy in already cleared areas, given that the
extraction of wood to produce energy is one of the causes
of deforestation (Homma, 2005). This may offer a good
opportunity to develop technologies for the recovery of
degraded areas using local elements of biodiversity, plants,
earthworms and other elements of soil fauna and microorganisms
(Lavelle et al., 2006).
Brazil’s new national agroenergy program, for example,
offers a series of options for increasing the share of biofuels
in the national energy grid with the very active participation
of AKST systems (creation of a center and of specific
agroenergy research programs) and with supportive public
policies. This experience should be shared with the countries
of the region (although this has caused some controversy).
Responsibility for ensuring equity and sustainability (related
to the production of biofuels) has thus far been evaded (e.g.,
study of cases such as that of Brazil, a world leader in the
production of ethanol). The formation of agroindustrial cooperatives
or associations of small- and medium-sized producers
could help to ensure greater equity in this sector.
Extreme caution is needed and studies undertaken on
the large-scale environmental and social consequences of the
production of agrofuels in the countries of Latin America
and the Caribbean. A program should also be developed
to organize existing know-how and experiences in the production
of bioenergy (including biofuels) in the various ecoregions.
Research is needed too on the ultimate consequences
of the addiction of the current dominant development model
to gasoline and petroleum with a view to ensuring that crops
now used for food are not converted into raw materials for
agrofuels (known as biofuels, such as ethanol and diesel)
and to prevent more intensive use and further expansion of
the agricultural frontier to the detriment of the last places of
refuge for the biodiversity of neo-tropical forests.
4.2.4 Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the basis of all current services provided by
ecosystems and the key to their sustainable use for the future.
Special strategies are therefore needed to prepare inventories,
expand knowledge and utilize this resource. Special
attention will be paid to its conservation in recognition
of the fact that Latin America and the Caribbean has high
levels of biodiversity with countries such as Mexico, Colombia
and Brazil among the most biodiverse in the world
but also with the highest rates of extinction.
4.2.4.1 Development of strategies for the conservation and
sustainable use of biodiversity in Latin America and the
Caribbean
The development of AKST systems through agroecological
and traditional know-how should focus on strategies
for protecting the extensive biodiversity (both domesticated
and wild) of Latin America and the Caribbean and on
the right of the peoples of the region to have knowledge of
them, access to them, and to use them sustainably. Biodiversity
holds the greatest potential for the development of
new products (plant breeding) and can satisfy the emerging
demand both for food (quality and quantity) and for other
products. There is need for management of a common research
system and for the comparing of experiences in order
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to promote the regulation of and greater access to traditional
knowledge.
Traditional knowledge has sometimes been used by the
different actors for economic ends while the population at
large receives no reward of any sort (Santilli, 2002; Lima
and Bensunsan, 2003). It is necessary to work towards the
elaboration of precise and up-to-date inventories of biodiversity,
to establish reference databases and to train people
in Latin America and the Caribbean in these fields. This
knowledge will enable the region to assess the impact of
public policies in this area and also the impact of different
types of land and landscape use on biodiversity. Many
biodiversity crops cultivated by small-scale producers have
significant potential to capture international niche markets.
The evidence suggests that there could be substantial valueadded
if products such as alpaca and llama wool, quinine,
specialized varieties of potato and others are introduced into
these markets, especially if there are possibilities of having
labels or denominations of origin. The negotiation of equitable
commercial agreements can also create opportunities
for increasing incomes, although its scope is limited.
Diversification aimed at supplying demand in export
markets will require improved organization on the part of
producers in order to ensure coordination and the fulfilment
of the quotas required for export shipments, as well
as efficient mechanisms for the supply of inputs (including
financing). Technical assistance to ensure adequate quality
control, the development of adequate post-harvest handling
and packaging, and the creation of effective marketing
chains will also be indispensable (Dixon et al., 2001). The options also include expanding knowledge of
hydro-ecology and water dynamics, especially in the Caribbean,
coastal areas and rivers. The countries of South America
need a multidisciplinary approach to the management of
their resources, based fundamentally on the integrated management
of water basins, multiple use of water resources,
recovery of waste water, and protection of fragile zones that
are important for the conservation of water resources, such
as wetlands and slopes. Urgently needed also are adequate
legal and programmatic frameworks, such as national water
resources policies, national water legislation and plans for
the use and conservation of water resources.
Inadequate knowledge of the state of water resources
is one of the impediments to effective management of these
resources. However, the increase in conflicts arising from
the scarcity of this resource, as a result of natural disasters,
unregulated use and pollution, has sparked interest in this
sector which is so important for national development. Elements
of conventional knowledge must therefore be incorporated
in order to restore diversity, integrity and productive
capacity to water systems (DeClerk et al., 2006). Elements
of agroecological knowledge (DeClerk et al., 2006) and traditional
know-how must also be incorporated to restore diversity,
integrity and the productive capacity of soils. At the
same time, an inventory of local know-how is needed as a
way of protecting such knowledge (Shiva, 2000).
Marketing channels for biodiversity products need to be
identified. The extensive biodiversity of sub-regions such as
the Andes, Amazonia, Mexico, and Central America, among
others, and access to these resources is a strategic factor that
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