to produce bioenergy in already cleared areas, given that the extraction of wood to produce energy is one of the causes of deforestation (Homma, 2005). This may offer a good opportunity to develop technologies for the recovery of degraded areas using local elements of biodiversity, plants, earthworms and other elements of soil fauna and microorganisms (Lavelle et al., 2006).
     Brazil’s new national agroenergy program, for example, offers a series of options for increasing the share of biofuels in the national energy grid with the very active participation of AKST systems (creation of a center and of specific agroenergy research programs) and with supportive public policies. This experience should be shared with the countries of the region (although this has caused some controversy). Responsibility for ensuring equity and sustainability (related to the production of biofuels) has thus far been evaded (e.g., study of cases such as that of Brazil, a world leader in the production of ethanol). The formation of agroindustrial cooperatives or associations of small- and medium-sized producers could help to ensure greater equity in this sector.
     Extreme caution is needed and studies undertaken on the large-scale environmental and social consequences of the production of agrofuels in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. A program should also be developed to organize existing know-how and experiences in the production
of bioenergy (including biofuels) in the various ecoregions. Research is needed too on the ultimate consequences of the addiction of the current dominant development model to gasoline and petroleum with a view to ensuring that crops now used for food are not converted into raw materials for agrofuels (known as biofuels, such as ethanol and diesel) and to prevent more intensive use and further expansion of the agricultural frontier to the detriment of the last places of refuge for the biodiversity of neo-tropical forests.

4.2.4 Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the basis of all current services provided by ecosystems and the key to their sustainable use for the future. Special strategies are therefore needed to prepare inventories, expand knowledge and utilize this resource. Special attention will be paid to its conservation in recognition of the fact that Latin America and the Caribbean has high levels of biodiversity with countries such as Mexico, Colombia and Brazil among the most biodiverse in the world but also with the highest rates of extinction.

4.2.4.1 Development of strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in Latin America and the Caribbean
The development of AKST systems through agroecological and traditional know-how should focus on strategies for protecting the extensive biodiversity (both domesticated and wild) of Latin America and the Caribbean and on the right of the peoples of the region to have knowledge of
them, access to them, and to use them sustainably. Biodiversity holds the greatest potential for the development of new products (plant breeding) and can satisfy the emerging demand both for food (quality and quantity) and for other products. There is need for management of a common research system and for the comparing of experiences in order

to promote the regulation of and greater access to traditional knowledge.
     Traditional knowledge has sometimes been used by the different actors for economic ends while the population at large receives no reward of any sort (Santilli, 2002; Lima and Bensunsan, 2003). It is necessary to work towards the elaboration of precise and up-to-date inventories of biodiversity,
to establish reference databases and to train people in Latin America and the Caribbean in these fields. This knowledge will enable the region to assess the impact of public policies in this area and also the impact of different types of land and landscape use on biodiversity. Many biodiversity crops cultivated by small-scale producers have significant potential to capture international niche markets. The evidence suggests that there could be substantial valueadded if products such as alpaca and llama wool, quinine, specialized varieties of potato and others are introduced into these markets, especially if there are possibilities of having labels or denominations of origin. The negotiation of equitable commercial agreements can also create opportunities for increasing incomes, although its scope is limited.

     Diversification aimed at supplying demand in export markets will require improved organization on the part of producers in order to ensure coordination and the fulfilment of the quotas required for export shipments, as well as efficient mechanisms for the supply of inputs (including financing). Technical assistance to ensure adequate quality control, the development of adequate post-harvest handling and packaging, and the creation of effective marketing chains will also be indispensable (Dixon et al., 2001).      The options also include expanding knowledge of hydro-ecology and water dynamics, especially in the Caribbean, coastal areas and rivers. The countries of South America need a multidisciplinary approach to the management of their resources, based fundamentally on the integrated management of water basins, multiple use of water resources, recovery of waste water, and protection of fragile zones that are important for the conservation of water resources, such as wetlands and slopes. Urgently needed also are adequate legal and programmatic frameworks, such as national water resources policies, national water legislation and plans for the use and conservation of water resources.
     Inadequate knowledge of the state of water resources is one of the impediments to effective management of these resources. However, the increase in conflicts arising from the scarcity of this resource, as a result of natural disasters, unregulated use and pollution, has sparked interest in this sector which is so important for national development. Elements of conventional knowledge must therefore be incorporated in order to restore diversity, integrity and productive capacity to water systems (DeClerk et al., 2006). Elements of agroecological knowledge (DeClerk et al., 2006) and traditional know-how must also be incorporated to restore diversity, integrity and the productive capacity of soils. At the same time, an inventory of local know-how is needed as a way of protecting such knowledge (Shiva, 2000).
     Marketing channels for biodiversity products need to be identified. The extensive biodiversity of sub-regions such as the Andes, Amazonia, Mexico, and Central America, among others, and access to these resources is a strategic factor that