From Piracicaba to Brazil’s different biomes, Imaflora works across multiple realities and discussions with the aim of projecting the socio-environmental agenda onto the international stage.
In 2024, discussions on socio-environmental policies increasingly focused on food security and the need to put in place low-emission production models. Through our advocacy strategy, we have taken important steps with key players throughout the global agricultural chain and have been present at major events such as the Biodiversity COP in Cali.
One of the focal points of this work is undoubtedly China. It is the largest buyer of Brazilian commodities such as soy and beef, whose demand often drives deforestation. With its purchasing power, China has the ability to push Brazil’s beef supply chains towards low-emission, deforestation-free models by adopting stricter sustainability criteria in its procurement policies. In November, Imaflora took part in a major event in China, where it introduced the Beef on Track programme to government and industry representativesas a potential tool to strengthen sustainability requirements for Brazilian beef purchases. Imaflora's intention is to run a pilot in 2025 and then submit the programme to the government agency.
At the pre-COP meeting in Bonn, the Agriculture Work Group set up at COP 27 in Egypt was officially confirmed. Over the next two years, it will work to pinpoint production systems capable of driving the global decarbonisation of agriculture and, in turn, increase food security.
With this agenda in mind, Think Food and Climate was created, a partnership between Imaflora, the Josué de Castro Chair - USP School of Public Health - and Cebrap Sustainability. Launched in Bonn, the initiative seeks to explore pathways for transitioning to low-carbon agri-food systems. The idea is for the initiative to be linked to the proposals of the Agriculture work group of the UN. A first document was released at the end of 2024 with the main findings of the initiative and the idea is to deliver a work plan in 2025 with suggestions that can contribute to public policies in this sector.
