In 2015, government adopted a Biodiversity Economy Strategy (BES) which seeks to increase the biodiversity contribution to the Gross Domestic Product while conserving the country’s ecosystems. It focuses on enhancing growth in various sectors including wildlife and tourism. President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the Biodiversity Economy Innovation and People & Parks conferences in Thohoyandou under the theme: “Innovating and Accelerating – with the people, for the people” on Saturday, 25 August 2018.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the Biodiversity Economy Innovation and People & Parks conferences in Thohoyandou under the theme: “Innovating and Accelerating - with the people, for the people” on Saturday, 25 August 2018.
The Biodiversity Economy Innovation conference will bring together stakeholders from the wildlife industry, academia, traditional leadership and government. The stakeholders will deliberate on innovative ideas that promote sustainable utilisation and conservation of the country’s biological resources.
The conference aimed to ensure that the biodiversity economy produces healthy returns on investment. The scope of innovation products in the biodiversity economy include bioprospecting and bio-trade products such as cosmetics and pharmaceutical; wildlife and ecotourism products.
Project Benefits:
The anticipated outcomes of the Biodiversity Economy Innovation Conference are as follows:
- The innovation potential of the biodiversity economy is recognised and promoted.
- The potential of the biodiversity economy to yield a salient return on investment is recognised and considered for promotion in high level investment summits of the country.
- The job creation opportunities of the biodiversity economy are acknowledged and considered for profiling in the high level jobs summits of the country.
- Biodiversity economy as a key contributor to the Agricultural and Tourism sectors’ Gross Domestic Product(GDP) is acknowledged subsequently its potential contribute to the national imperatives, that is, job creation, unemployment and inequality is acknowledged
- Business and skills development opportunities for communities in the Biodiversity Economy identified.
- Land as a key resource to unlock opportunities presented by the biodiversity economy for community benefits is recognised and acknowledged within Biodiversity Economy interventions.
- Reflection on progress made on People and Parks programme implementation in line with Biodiversity Economy.
- Collaboration opportunities for communities within TFCAs identified.
