2023-11-20 17:36:11
The agreement was reached at the Regional Technical Workshop on Afro-descendants and Rurality in Latin America and the Caribbean organized by the entities to identify the challenges and opportunities of Afro-descendant communities in the region.
November 17, 2023, Santiago de Chile – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Pontifical Javeriana University of Colombia, with the support of the European Union, International Land Coalition (ILC LAC), the Italian Cooperation Agency, The Tenure Facility, the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform (INCRA), the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), the Ministry of Agrarian Development and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Government of Brazil, held the Regional Technical Workshop on Afro-descendants and Rurality in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The dialogue brought together technical profiles from the Ministries of Agriculture, Rural Development, ethnic affairs, representatives of Afro-descendant organizations, women and youth, academics and entities of the United Nations System who identified the challenges and opportunities of Afro-descendant communities in the region.
The workshop methodology made it possible to identify spaces for collaboration, reach agreements through the establishment of a roadmap and a regional network of Afro-descendant authorities and strategic actors in rural areas. Also, the workshop provided recommendations for a joint declaration that is being prepared by the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent.
In this way, the effort will promote the articulation of actions, the exchange of knowledge and experiences, to strengthen leadership and governance, contributing to a more just and inclusive future in the region.
The Deputy Director General and Regional Representative of FAO for Latin America and the Caribbean, Mario Lubetkin, participated in the opening of the event, where he highlighted the need to advance the rights of Afro-descendant peoples, indicating that “the protection and respect of the rights Collective and individual ownership of land, territory and natural resources are fundamental for the survival and integral development of Afro-descendants.”
Afro descent in Latin America and the Caribbean
Afro-descendant communities in Latin America cover significant areas in countries such as Belize, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela, collectively occupying some 205 million of hectares. However, only 5% of these lands have legal recognition of collective rights, highlighting a worrying gap between ancestral occupation and its legal formalization.
This highlights the urgent need to advocate for the territorial and legal security of these communities.
In addition, 1,271 protected areas have been identified near Afro-descendant lands, which include savannahs, agri-food zones and tropical humid forests, the latter representing an important part of the rich biodiversity in these territories.
77% of Afro-descendant lands in Latin America, recognized as areas of high biodiversity, have minimally modified natural ecosystems, highlighting their ecological value and the urgency of their conservation.
FAO points out that it is necessary to advance in three crucial aspects for Afro-descendants: the protection of their rights over land and natural resources; the recognition of their contribution to sustainable development and the preservation of their ancestral knowledge; and the adaptation of public policies to respond in a culturally relevant way to their needs, thus promoting their development in rural environments. These measures are essential to ensure their survival and integral progress, respecting their identity and cultural legacy.
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