From consumer to co-producer: opportunities for biodiversity conservation in the Brazilian Cerrado

Abstract

The Cerrado is the second largest biome in South America and affects 22% of the Brazilian
territory in a continuous range that predominantly covers the central region of the country. Due
to the large number of endemic species and high rate of deforestation, the biome was defined
as a hotspot, in reference to the priority need for actions to conserve its biodiversity. Faced with
this challenge, this text approaches the gastronomy as a strategic element for the construction
of new dynamics between producers and consumers from its understanding as a complex
phenomenon that covers the most diverse aspects of human life that involve food choices. It
is guided by the philosophy of the Slow Food movement and examines the contribution of the
concept of co-producer to the conservation of the biovidersity of the Brazilian Cerrado.