How the bioeconomy can boost socio-biodiversity and Brazilian fashion

More sustainable raw materials, valuing handicrafts and promoting forest cultures are all essential. However, it is crucial that the fashion industry makes fair exchanges with communities

Article published in VOGUE – Business

By Fernanda Simon – 30/07/2024

How the bioeconomy can boost socio-biodiversity and Brazilian fashion – Photo: André Carioba

Faced with the current social and climate challenges, it is necessary to look for economic alternatives that prioritize the health and well-being of people and the planet. In this way, looking at the forest, its natural resources, ancestral knowledge and, above all, the relationship between communities and territories, can contribute to building more sustainable business models. According to biologist and regional director of the Brazilian Society of Ecological Economics, Dr. Nina Lys Nunes, the bioeconomy is a broad, fluid and evolving concept: “The definition of bioeconomy is extensive, as it covers more than an economic sector and synthesizes a set of ethical-normative values relating to the relationship between society and nature, and its consequences.”

The biologist explains that the bioeconomy has shown itself to be a science with broad potential and has been gaining prominence in public policies in various countries: “The bioeconomy in the Ecological Economy school of thought seeks to strengthen communities that have knowledge about the use and management of local biodiversity, boosting productive inclusion for communities. This concept highlights the importance of the balance between the use of biodiversity and social well-being.”

But beyond the theory, it’s important to see how productive communities actually benefit. In fashion, a sector directly linked to the production of raw materials and environmentally harmful processes and practices, the bioeconomy can foster alternatives. However, it is necessary to assess in practice how much fashion projects and companies that work with productive communities are really contributing to a positive impact.

Glícia CáuperManauara activist and Fashion Revolution representative in Amazonas, points out: “Working with fashion and the bioeconomy is to see, in no uncertain terms, that there is still a hierarchy of knowledge in our society, in which artisanal knowledge is the least valued. It is undeniable that the work done by various brands that use sustainability as an integral part of their products to create a desirable field of imagery has a direct influence on the financial return given to communities, as the images make more people interested in handicrafts that use biomaterials as an input. But the big question that remains is: is this financial return fair?”

Although there are some successful examples of fashion brands making strong commitments to productive communities, the fundamental role of the third sector in supporting the organization of the initiatives, as well as the negotiations, must be highlighted.

One example is the work carried out by Legado Integrado da Região Amazônica (LIRA), an initiative of the Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (IPÊ), which promotes forest conservation and the development of community businesses in the Amazon. Founded by biologist Fabiana Prado, LIRA/IPÊ aims to improve conservation efforts in the Amazon biome. The initiative finances socio-environmental projects with traditional peoples and communities, generates and disseminates knowledge, and supports public policies for Amazon conservation and climate resilience. “The initiative seeks not only to conserve the forest, but also to integrate knowledge and engage women for greater protagonism, essential in the socio-economic fabric of the region,” says Fabiana.

The Association of Residents of the Community of Jaramacaru and Region (ACAJE), in Pará, exemplifies how LIRA/IPÊ supports local businesses and promotes women’s autonomy. With this support, ACAJE has developed a comprehensive approach to managing forest products, with a focus on Brazil nuts and cumaru seeds. However, the women of ACAJE also produce bio-jewelry from seeds, coconut shells and feathers, providing an additional source of income and stimulating creativity and entrepreneurship. In addition, the initiative collaborates with the Amazon Forest Production and Development Cooperative (CopaFlora) to ensure fair prices and better access to the market.

As a result of a partnership between LIRA/IPÊ, the Aldeia Tukaya Indigenous Association – AITEX, from the Xipaya Indigenous Land in the Xingu, the Mercur company and the Bossapack brand (which produces bags and backpacks from latex), the company now has a vulcanizer, a new piece of equipment that represents a technological advance, bringing various benefits to the local community. The vulcanizer speeds up the drying of encauchado fabrics, which are produced by combining an ancient indigenous technique that dehydrates latex, with modern industrial scientific technology, which mainly uses solar energy.

The fabrics are painted by women from the community. They use natural pigments such as annatto, promoting social and economic inclusion, offering new sources of income and strengthening their positions in the community. The project involves 30 people, mainly young people aged between 16 and 26, and is a source of employment opportunities and skills development.

Sidiane Sampaio, a member of ACAJE, points out that the biggest challenges include the lack of public policies that meet their needs: “We want more involvement from the state, because we feel there is a significant lack. As extractivists, we don’t just want to harvest Brazil nuts and cumaru, we also want to study and have access to quality education. We need a more special look at the extractivist people, including support from the INSS for sick pay, because we face many risks, such as accidents at work and snake bites, without adequate support.”

In the face of the third sector’s efforts to create strategies for the bioeconomy, the role of the government and the private sector must be challenged. Public policies are fundamental to guaranteeing access to subsidies and benefits, as well as transparency and fair exchanges on the part of companies.

For designer Naisha Cardoso, from Belém, who is also at the head of the regional brand collective, Hevea, she says: “I think it should always be evaluated with an eye to not becoming commodities, to having the right and fair return for the community. I see, for example, the families of Combu, who supplied priprioca to a major cosmetics brand – they are increasingly vulnerable to development and interference with rivers and natural climate cycles. Everything falls on them.

“I believe that the bioeconomy is an important way of bringing sustainability to fashion. Our forest is very rich and beautiful, with seeds and natural materials that can be transformed into bio-jewelry and incredible handicrafts, such as baskets and coconut palm straw pieces. Here in the community, we encourage the sustainable use of forest resources, showing that it can provide us with various forms of income besides Brazil nuts and cumaru. The bio-jewelry produced with materials collected in our reserve are examples of how we can create beautiful works of art, such as necklaces and earrings,” Sidiane points out.

Glícia adds: “So far, I don’t know of any brands that present data on the financial return that productive communities receive in a transparent, easy and accessible way. Most brands present content about the biomaterials they use, showing how they are processed and used to make their garments. As for the hands that bring these pieces to life, I see that brands constantly circulate their images without proper communication about the use of their image and related issues. Another issue is the fact that only brand managers take part in major events as spokespeople for the artisans. For the most part, these managers don’t experience what the artisans experience, but they take credit for valuing handicrafts. But I find myself wondering: what kind of valorization is this, in which the artisan has no real voice, doesn’t appear in spaces of power, and we don’t even have any way of knowing how much he actually receives for each material produced?”.

“If there is no possibility of buying directly from artisans, I believe that the ideal is to buy from artisan cooperatives and associations. From the reality I experience, these are the ones that come closest to real transparency, and can be seen as ‘success stories’, after all, their representatives are artisans, and a large part of the money raised goes back into the community through social projects that offer vocational training courses and educational talks on legal, political and social issues,” she concludes.

Valuing diverse materials, knowledge, cultures and peoples can strengthen the identity of national fashion and boost domestic production, especially in the face of unfair competition from products manufactured on a large scale abroad.

Therefore, the fashion sector, through the bioeconomy, can stimulate countless opportunities for the sustainable development of Brazilian territories and foster national fashion in a systemic way. However, it is crucial to guarantee the participation of local organizations and ensure that negotiations truly prioritize the well-being of communities and the protection of the environment.