Representatives of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and of the states that have joined the socio-environmental traceability platform SeloVerde, supported by AL-INVEST Verde, presented their experience in the implementation of this tool, during the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP30, which is being held in Belém do Pará, Brazil, from 10 to 21 November.

The event was attended by the Ambassador of the European Union in Brazil, Marian Schuegraf; the Extraordinary Secretary for Deforestation Control and Territorial Environmental Management of the Ministry of Environment, André Lima; and the professor of the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Raoni Rajão.

Professor Rajão presented the structure and functioning of the platform, created by the Territorial Intelligence Centre of the UFMG. For their part, the representatives of the states presented the particularities of the implementation in their respective territories, both with the process of development of SeloVerde as well as the CAR 2.0, a geospatial intelligence tool that verifies compliance of rural properties with environmental legislation registered in the Rural Environmental Cadastre (CAR).

The governor of Mato Grosso do Sul, Eduardo Riedel, stressed that the implementation of SeloVerde in his state will allow producers who act in accordance with the legislation to be able to demonstrate the sustainability of its production. He pointed out the importance of this tool for his economy, which is heavily based on agro-exports, as those who do not comply with the legislation and damage the environment and the image of the agricultural sector will have to face the consequences of not complying with the rules.

In this line, he stressed the importance of the support of the AL-INVEST Verde programme, which makes possible the development of this tool not only in his state, but also in the rest of the world. Espírito Santo, Acre, Tocantins and Minas Gerais, where he concluded that the platform would be operational in 2024.

Free platform

The importance of SeloVerde lies in the fact that it is a free and universal tool, This makes it particularly useful for small producers and family farming. It can certify the socio-environmental compliance of properties and the traceability of production, which facilitates access to national and international markets.

In addition to those mentioned above, the event was attended by the representative of the Minas Gerais Secretariat of Environment and Sustainable Development, Marília Melo; the Director General of the Espírito Santo Institute for Agricultural and Forestry Defence (Idaf), Leonardo Monteiro; the Secretaries of Environment of Acre and Maranhão, Leonardo Carvalho and Pedro Chagas, respectively; the Secretary of Family Agriculture of Pará, Cássio Pereira; and the Director of Environmental Intelligence, Climate and Forests of the Secretariat of Environment and Water Resources of Tocantins, Cristiane Peres.

About AL-INVEST Verde

AL-INVEST Verde is a European Union (EU) programme whose main objective is to promote sustainable growth and job creation in Latin America by supporting the transition towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient and more circular economy. Through Component 2, led by FIIAPP in consortium with IILA, the programme provides assistance for strengthening public policy and multi-stakeholder dialogues on sustainable agricultural and value chains, environmental and labour standards, as well as sustainable trade and economic policy and regulatory frameworks.