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National Bioeconomy Strategy: A Pathway to Brazil’s Sustainable Future

by | Jul 3, 2024 | Client Alert, Life Sciences

In celebration of World Environment Day, on June 6, 2024, the Federal Government issued Decree No. 12,044/2024, which establishes the National Bioeconomy Strategy. This decree marks a significant step in coordinating and implementing public policies aimed at developing the bioeconomy sector, in partnership with civil society and the private sector.
The National Bioeconomy Strategy includes a dedicated axis for bioeconomy and agri-food systems. The primary goal is to foster sustainable economic activities, promoting decarbonization, regenerative agriculture, and bioindustrialization.
Guidelines and Objectives
Decree No. 12,044/2024 defines “bioeconomy” as a model of productive and economic development that generates products, processes, and services efficiently, utilizing biodiversity sustainably, regeneratively, and conservatively. This model is guided by scientific and traditional knowledge, as well as technological innovations, aiming to add value, create jobs and income, and promote sustainability and climate balance.
The Strategy aims to encourage businesses that promote the sustainable use and valorization of biodiversity, decarbonizing production processes and stimulating bioindustrialization aligned with the New Industry Brazil (NIB). Another focus is regenerative agriculture and expanding the innovation environment based on biodiversity assets, agricultural and forestry production, and installed industrial capacities.
Implementation and Operationalization
The implementation of the National Bioeconomy Strategy will be carried out through the National Bioeconomy Development Plan, supported by the National Bioeconomy Information and Knowledge System. The plan will establish resources, actions, responsibilities, goals, and indicators for the development of the bioeconomy. The National Bioeconomy Commission, the governance body of the Strategy, will be established within 30 days after the publication of the decree, with the plan to be developed within 60 days after the commission’s establishment.
Biodiversity Conservation
The National Bioeconomy Strategy is also aligned with national legislation that regulates the sustainable use of Brazilian biodiversity, such as the Biodiversity Legal Framework – Law No. 13,123/2015. This legal framework protects the rights of indigenous peoples and traditional communities while allowing the rational use of environmental resources.

The 2023 Global Risks Report by the World Economic Forum highlighted biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse as one of the greatest global risks for 2033. Since 1993, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has sought to promote the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, with updated goals in 2022 through the Global Biodiversity Framework to be achieved by 2030.
Bio-inputs: A Highlight of the Strategy
Among the Strategy’s strands, the promotion of regenerative agriculture stands out, which aligns with the development of the bio-inputs market and the National Bio-inputs Program, established by Decree No. 10,375/2020. This program aims to stimulate innovations in national agriculture and aquaculture, encompassing small and medium-sized producers, cooperatives, associations, and startups.
Bio-inputs have the potential to reduce dependence on imported inputs, contributing to the sustainability of agriculture with economic, environmental, and social advantages. In 2023, Brazil led the use of biological pesticides, biostimulants, and biofertilizers, with more than half of the crops using some type of biopesticide.

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