One of the proposals presented by Brazil at the G20 Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS-G20) is the establishment of a thematic group dedicated to debating issues and proposing action related to the bioeconomy. The proposal called G20 Initiative on Bioeconomy (GIB) was launched as the Brazilian delegation stressed the importance of the theme. “The G20 will be the first global forum to address the issue in an exclusive debate, and here in Brazil, the effort has the participation of 12 ministries”, stated Daniel Lodetti, from the General Coordination of Sustainable Development of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the body responsible for leading the proposal. Lodetti explained that the initiative will be structured in three separate topics of debate: research, development and innovation for the bioeconomy, as debated in May, in Brasília, DF; sustainable use of biodiversity for the bioeconomy, with debate scheduled for June, in Manaus, AM; and the role of bioeconomy in promoting sustainable development, which will be discussed in September, in Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brazil proposes that countries and international organizations share successful experiences in bioeconomy and define the field, which still has many interpretations. "There is no global consensus on the definition of the term yet. Therefore, Brazil wants to start standardizing the concept and have the G20 be the pioneer in this topic so as to spread the initiative to other global forums", explains the coordinator of this year's edition of MACS-G20, Marcelo Morandi, Head of International Relations at Embrapa. The bioeconomy, which targets sustainable production based on biodiversity and natural resources, has been gaining ground in Brazil and around the world, according to Morandi. One of the main aspects of the theme currently is the replacement of fossil raw materials with similar ones from natural sources. That is the case of fertilizers, growth stimulants, and pesticides based on microorganisms like fungi and bacteria that are harmless to the environment and to human health. Morandi stated that the use of bioinputs has been growing every year. Bioeconomy fights poverty and increases sustainability "The bioeconomy will be able to ensure food security and promote resilience to climate change", asserted Embrapa's Business Director Ana Euler during the event. According to her, biologically-based products should replace countless ones - ranging from fuels to fertilizers - from fossil sources in the long term. "That is the foundation of [Brazil's] National Biofertilizer Program", she stated, exemplifying with bioinputs developed by Embrapa: one to fight pests and stimulate soybean growth; another that helps the plant obtain phosphorus already present in the soil; and a third one that helps plants withstand drought; all of which have bacteria in their composition. The director also showcased Brazil's potential in the so-called blue bioeconomy, which refers to the exploitation of aquatic resources. "We already have [technology] packages aimed at two species of fish, (exotic) tilapia and tambaqui, which is native to Brazil. Both rely on reproduction, feeding and genetic technologies," she announced. Euler also defended the bioeconomy as a mechanism for social development. "In the Amazon, in 2021 alone, Embrapa's technologies focused on socio-bioeconomy created 3,000 direct jobs and promoted an impact of over US$30 million in the region", the director said as she was reporting that today there are over 100 technologies for over 50 production chains. For the development of the bioeconomy, Ana Euler believes that many challenges will have to be faced by all countries, such as the development of scientific solutions aimed at local needs and capabilities, the promotion of sustainable means of developing the bioeconomy, the multiplication of knowledge, the implementation of value-aggregation systems and systems for insertion in production chains, among others. "It is fundamental that we strengthen cooperation networks, partnerships and funding for projects aimed at the bioeconomy," she stated. “We hope to deliver a high-level foundation in bioeconomy that will inform the meeting of G20 government leaders who will meet in Rio de Janeiro this year", Lodetti concluded.