A study conducted in partnership between the Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária Amazônia Oriental (Embrapa) [Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation Eastern Amazon] and the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) has discovered the anti-inflammatory and healing properties of propolis produced by canudo bees, which are stingless and native to the Amazon. The study stems from Embrapa's research on the species' efficiency in pollinating the açaí palm, which found elevated production of high-quality propolis.
The technologies described above are just a few examples of what will be shown at AgriZone, the Home of Sustainable Brazilian Agriculture, which will be set up at Embrapa Eastern Amazon, in Belém, during the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 30), from November 10 to 21 of this year. AgriZone will be the culmination of a program launched in May by Embrapa's national headquarters, called “Climate Journey.”
The project is a campaign that includes communication actions, preparatory discussions, and a large exhibition on sustainable agriculture, the AgriZone. The initiative is based on the principle that science plays a fundamental role in building more sustainable, adapted, and resilient agri-food systems that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, preserve biomes, and promote socio-productive inclusion.
INTEGRATION
In this regard, the Journey started on May 7, with the first event, “Dialogues for Climate,” in Brasília, gathering the government, the productive sector, academia, civil society, and other actors involved in agriculture and climate change. Besides the first meeting, other reunions have already been held in Cuiabá (MT) and Corumbá (MS).
Dialogues are also planned in Manaus (AM) in July; Porto Alegre (RS) in August; Fortaleza (CE) in September; and São Paulo (SP) in October; each one discussing the respective biomes where they occur. In addition, a special Embrapa page on COP 30 (www.embrapa.br/cop30) features videos, educational materials, and a virtual showcase of technologies. Embrapa will also bring the “Climate Space” to various agricultural fairs held throughout the country in the lead-up to the Conference.
The idea is, based on the discussions, to gather participants' views and contributions to build a synthesis document, which should guide public policies and Brazilian negotiators at COP 30 regarding Brazilian agriculture and livestock farming and its sustainable initiatives.
According to Ana Euler, director of Innovation, Business, and Technology Transfer at Embrapa, the Journey "reflects decades of research and the Company's commitment to the environment, combining technological innovation with social and environmental responsibility.
With an eye on the present and the future, Embrapa is dedicated to promoting agriculture that not only withstands climate challenges but also plays an active role in the global effort to address climate change," she points out.
Solutions aim to support the adaptation of agriculture and livestock farming
The Embrapa special page on COP 30 features a showcase of technologies already developed by the institution. “These are innovative and strategic solutions that aimed at adapting agriculture and livestock farming to the challenges posed by climate change.
The approaches presented involve several thematic axes: Climate Adaptation and Resilience, with technologies aimed at strengthening production systems against extreme weather events; Low Carbon Agriculture, which aims to mitigate the impacts of agriculture and livestock farming by reducing emissions and increasing soil carbon sequestration; Food and Nutritional Security, with technologies that ensure continuous access to healthy, high-quality food; Bioeconomy and Circular Economy, which transform waste and biomass into new products and energy; Reduction of Pressure on Forests and Biomes, which proposes regenerative practices and sustainable intensification; and Socio-productive and Digital Inclusion, which seeks to bring training, digital solutions, and social technologies to rural producers," emphasizes Ana Euler.
Part of this showcase will be presented at AgriZone during COP 30 at Embrapa Eastern Amazon, located just two kilometers away from the conference headquarters at the City Park. The program was developed based on a call for proposals, open to those interested in proposing events within AgriZone.
"AgriZone will be a facility set up during COP 30 that aims to highlight Brazil's initiatives and innovations in the field of sustainable agriculture. The Home of Sustainable Brazilian Agriculture will be a space dedicated to promoting the country's technological solutions focused on sustainability, as well as demonstrating how Brazil is dealing with climate challenges in the agricultural sector. It will be a meeting point where experts, researchers, and institutions from around the world will gather to discuss innovative solutions to address the climate crisis, with an emphasis on sustainable agricultural practices," explains Ana Euler.
INSERTION
According to Walkymário Lemos, head of Embrapa Eastern Amazon, the proposal is that AgriZone be connected to the dynamics of COP 30. “Our desire is that the Conference negotiators can connect with our space and participate in this discussion of technical knowledge at AgriZone. We intend to show how technologies interact to strengthen the Amazon in its role of tackling climate change. Something relevant that we will bring up is the great potential for producing food in areas with strong impacts from human activity," points out Lemos.
“The Amazon has many areas undergoing different processes of degradation that can be addressed with sustainable systems capable not only of restoring the environment, but also of producing food by rebuilding productivity,” he adds.
According to the head of the agency, the expectation is that all types of audiences will participate: negotiators, researchers, non-governmental organizations, and the general population. “We want it to be a great gathering place for those interested in learning about sustainable technologies for producing food, preserving forests, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” he states.
According to Lemos, some examples of technologies developed by Embrapa Eastern Amazon itself and which will be shown in the place will be agroforestry systems in their different formations and designs, such as consortiums between açaí and cocoa or coffee and cocoa; crop-livestock-forest integration; and environmental restoration in its different perspectives.
“These are examples of systems that have been properly tested for Amazonian conditions, thus offering conditions for food production while addressing emissions,” he notes.
Pollination is an option for sociobiodiversity
The study on the pollination of the açaí palm by canudo bees and the production of propolis by the species mentioned at the beginning of this article will be presented at the event. Daniel Santiago, an agronomist and researcher at Embrapa responsible for the investigation, explains that the research aims to contribute to the appreciation of sustainable products from the Amazon, boosting sociobiodiversity.
Santiago says that Embrapa Eastern Amazon has been conducting research on the behavior of social bees that occur naturally in the state of Pará for a decade.
"These studies have determined that canudo bees are the right size for açaí palm flowers and visit both male and female flowers, performing pollination. An average impact of a 35% increase in açaí productivity was observed with the introduction of hives of this species in the cultivation areas," reports the researcher.
He adds that the strategy of using pollinating insects works much better in sustainable systems such as agroforestry, where there is maintenance of forests around cultivated areas.
PROPOLIS
Canudo bees used to be undervalued by meliponiculturists in Pará due to their low honey production, but now they have gained greater importance due to their potential for pollinating the açaí palm.
The research also found that the species is a major producer of propolis. In a follow-up to the study, in partnership with UFPA, it was also discovered that products made from this propolis, such as ointments, have high healing and anti-inflammatory properties, comparable to healing ointments available on the market, but are more sustainable, since they are produced from Amazonian agrodiverse systems.
Santiago says that producers who have adopted these technologies and have already become multipliers of knowledge will have space to showcase their work at AgriZone. This is the case of the Amante Pinon family, from Breu Branco, who already use propolis from the canudo bee in the production of cosmetics.
REFORESTATION
Farmer and businesswoman Carmélia Amante Pinon says that her family used to raise dairy cattle, but with the implementation of the new Forest Code, they had to adapt to the need to reforest the permanent protection areas on their property.
“We carried out reforestation with açaí, andiroba, cacao, taperebá, and other plants, and now we manage bees and produce cosmetics,” she reports. “Embrapa came to our property to conduct research on monofloral açaí honey, and we began to introduce stingless bees. Daniel Santiago taught us how to make propolis collectors, and we have had excellent results with the people who are using our cosmetics," adds Carmélia.
Now, the family has become a multiplier of the practice. “We set up a meliponary at my son's school and also at the Federal Institute of Pará (IFPA) in Tucuruí. The aim is to train young people and encourage preservation and sustainability. And we have learned from practice that preservation is not only about protecting nature, but also a source of income for our family. Before, we had one source of income on the property; today, we have five. We have a lot to gain when we strengthen the bioeconomy," concludes the producer.
INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERSHIP
The production of Liberal Amazon is one of the initiatives of the Technical Cooperation Agreement between the Liberal Group and the Federal University of Pará. The articles involving research from UFPA are revised by professionals from the academy. The translation of the content is also provided by the agreement, through the research project ET-Multi: Translation Studies: multifaces and multisemiotics.
