Brazil Launches Sustainable Programs for Coastal and Creative Economic Development
Brazil has introduced new sustainable development programs targeting coastal communities and the creative economy to promote inclusive growth and social equity.
- • The Sustainable Economic Development Program for the Blue Amazon covers 757 municipalities across 17 states, focusing on low-impact economic activities.
- • The program targets artisanal fishermen, family aquaculturists, and traditional communities at climate risk, with implementation from 2026 to 2028.
- • The "Fórum Brasil Criativo" emphasized culture and the creative economy as key to social and territorial development, announcing new institutional frameworks for training and data.
- • Economist Mariana Mazzucato highlighted the social and economic value of arts and culture amid uncertainties, promoting international collaboration with MinC, UCL, and UNESCO.
Key details
On February 11, 2026, the Brazilian government established the Sustainable Economic Development Program for the Blue Amazon, targeting 757 municipalities across 17 coastal states. This initiative, signed by Minister Waldez Góes, seeks to reduce regional inequalities in Brazil’s maritime and coastal zones by promoting low-impact economic activities such as artisanal fishing, family aquaculture, community tourism, bioeconomy, circular economy, handicrafts, and small port infrastructure. The program prioritizes municipalities with high social vulnerability and economic dependence on marine resources, especially those threatened by climate change, with implementation planned through multiyear action plans from 2026 to 2028. It emphasizes participative governance involving traditional communities, civil society, and research institutions to ensure inclusivity and sustainability.
Complementing this, on October 10, 2025, the Ministry of Culture hosted the “Fórum Brasil Criativo” in Salvador, Bahia, highlighting culture and the creative economy as vital for territorial and social development. The event announced the institutionalization of the Escola Solano Trindade de Cultura e Economia Criativa and the Observatório Celso Furtado de Cultura e Economia Criativa, frameworks aimed at professional training and data production under the National Creative Economy Policy – Brazil Criativo. Economist Mariana Mazzucato delivered a keynote on the public value of arts and culture, reinforcing culture's crucial role in generating social and economic impact during uncertain times. The forum fostered collaboration between Brazil’s Ministry of Culture, University College London, and UNESCO.
Together, these initiatives reflect Brazil's commitment to inclusive, sustainable economic growth by integrating environmental stewardship with cultural and creative sectors, especially benefiting vulnerable coastal and traditional communities.
This article was translated and synthesized from Brazilian sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
