Bioeconomy is any economic activity based on the use of natural renewable biological resources, from both land and ocean, to obtain food, materials, and energy in a sustainable way without compromising their availability for future generations. Specifically, bioeconomy comprises those economic activities related to the invention, development, production, and use of biological … [Read more...] about A call for an integrated framework for the bioeconomy in Latin America and The Caribbean region
Santiago J. Bucaram-Villacís
Santiago J. Bucaram-Villacís is a Natural Resources Sector Specialist at the Inter-American Development Bank. He holds a PhD in Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics from the University of California at Davis and he is a MSc from the University of Florida. Before joining IDB Dr. Bucaram was the Director of two Economics Research Centers in Ecuador: the ESPOL Economics Research Center and the USFQ Economics Institute. He was also a consultant for different organizations such as: World Wildlife Fund, World Bank, United Nations Development Program, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, among others. He was a professor at Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) and Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral (ESPOL) in Ecuador as well as in Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia. His professional and research interests are focused on the intersection between natural resource conservation and economic development in South and Central America.
COVID-19: An opportunity for change in artisanal fishing
Fishing is an important activity for the economies of Latin America and the Caribbean. The oceanographic, biochemical, geographical, and climatic characteristics of marine and coastal ecosystems of the region have benefited it with some of the most productive fisheries on the planet. In 2018 alone, the region's fisheries exports exceeded $16 billion. However, since the … [Read more...] about COVID-19: An opportunity for change in artisanal fishing
Bushmeat in Latin America: a latent danger to biodiversity and public health
A great deal of the deadliest viruses in the late history (i.e. HIV, SARS, MERS, etc) share an origin with the coronavirus COVID-19; they appear in other animal species and then reach humans. The latter process is known as zoonosis and it is the result of our irresponsible interference with biodiversity and its ecosystems. Consequently, if human beings persist in exploiting … [Read more...] about Bushmeat in Latin America: a latent danger to biodiversity and public health
Ocean problems beyond plastics pollution
Why is the ocean important? The ocean covers three quarters of the Earth’s surface and plays a crucial role in supporting an enormous variety of life. The ocean helps regulate the climate by absorbing excess carbon dioxide and heat. The ocean is also important for the global economy. According to the OECD (2016), its economic contribution was valued at US$1.5 trillion in 2010, … [Read more...] about Ocean problems beyond plastics pollution
Improving artisanal marine fisheries in Haiti
Only one third of the fish consumed in Haiti is supplied by the country´s marine fisheries, even though Haiti has one of the region’s lowest consumption of fish per capita, with approximately 5.8 kg per person per year (FAO, 2017). This gap between local consumption and local fish production is the result of the low productivity of the sector, which can be explained by several … [Read more...] about Improving artisanal marine fisheries in Haiti