26 April 2002:
Equator Initiative Technical Workshop, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

On April 26, approximately 100 Brazilian experts in biodiversity, natural resources management and community development gathered at the Fundação Getúlio Vargas in Sao Paulo to share insights and lessons from across Brazil as informal input from Brazil to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). The discussion was rich and informing, grounded with practical and real-life examples drawn from innovative and inspiring work being undertaken within the Amazon by communities to reduce poverty through the wise use of their biodiversity. The workshop was closed by Fabio Feldman, one of Brazil’s leading environmentalists, who stressed the importance of biodiversity, both for Brazil and for the whole world. He acknowledged the role of Brazil as custodians of the world’s largest repository of biodiversity, the Amazon basin and emphasized that biodiversity must be a key priority in Johannesburg. He noted that the Equator Initiative offered a strategic opportunity to focus attention on this important issue.