The Poli-LAC Project — Regional Action to Improve the Protection of Pollinating Insects and Pollination Services in Latin America and the Caribbean — is expanding its activities in Livramento de Nossa Senhora, in southwestern Bahia, Brazil. On Friday (17), the project established an institutional partnership with the municipal government, strengthening local coordination for pollinator conservation and the promotion of more sustainable agricultural practices.

The meeting was attended by Mayor Joanina Sampaio, Municipal Secretary of Agriculture Ricardo Juvelino, Poli-LAC field team coordinators Maura Pezzato and Catarina Camargo, and Dilto Aguiar, Project Coordinator at the Association of the Semi-Arid Region of the Livramento Microregion (ASAMIL).

Through the partnership, the municipality will provide institutional support for the implementation of project activities and facilitate coordination among the different stakeholders involved. The initiative seeks to strengthen the protection of native and managed pollinating insects, which are essential to biodiversity, ecosystem balance, food production and income generation in rural communities.

In Livramento de Nossa Senhora, ASAMIL was selected by Poli-LAC to provide technical assistance and rural extension services to farmers participating in the initiative. The local activities aim to connect technical knowledge with farmers and support the adoption of practices that contribute to pollinator conservation and more sustainable agriculture.

In Brazil, Poli-LAC is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA). The project is financed by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI).

The project also receives support from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Brazilian Network of Plant-Pollinator Interactions (REBIPP), the Foundation for Support to Culture, Education, Research and Extension of Alfenas (FACEPE), as well as Brazil’s Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change and Ministry of Agrarian Development and Family Farming.

With activities in Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru, Poli-LAC works to strengthen public policies, knowledge and sustainable practices for the conservation of pollinators and pollination services in Latin America and the Caribbean. The partnership in Livramento de Nossa Senhora expands the project’s presence on the ground and strengthens connections between public policies, technical assistance and rural producers in support of biodiversity conservation and sustainable production.