'Road to Belém': Emílio Goeldi's legacy celebrated in Brazil

"Swiss naturalists and artists have been pioneers in the exploration and artistic representation of the important ecosystem that is the Amazon," said the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), Ignazio Cassis, during his visit to Brazil on 6 February. During his visit to Nova Friburgo, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Mr Cassis placed particular emphasis on the deep links between Switzerland and the Amazon region, where the COP30 summit will be held in November 2025. He did so by paying tribute to one of the greatest Swiss explorers and naturalists of the 19th century, whose name – Emílio Goeldi – remains closely associated with the study of biodiversity in Brazil. 

Emílio Goeldi devoted his life to scientific research and nature conservation. A member of the St Gallen and Schaffhausen naturalist societies, he studied zoology and comparative anatomy in Leipzig and Jena, Germany. Just as he was about to defend his doctoral thesis, at the age of 25, he received an unexpected invitation to become joint director of the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro. It was thus in 1880 he discovered the multifaceted nation of Brazil, where he would spend most of the rest of his life. 

Thirteen years after his arrival in Rio de Janeiro, the scientist was invited by the governor of the state of Pará, Lauro Sodré, to take over the running of the Museu Paraense, a museum of natural history and ethnography in decline, which he would subsequently transform into a leading scientific centre. The institution was located in Belém – 3,000 kilometres north of Rio de Janeiro – on the edge of the Amazon rainforest. On taking up his post, he proposed the creation of an institute specialising in Amazonian issues, aware that local nature would arouse the interest of the international scientific community. Goeldi and his team also transformed the site into Brazil's first and most important zoo of its time. Its construction, which featured in the plans of Goeldi and Sodré from the outset, was carried out with the aim of turning it into a school to raise awareness of the natural wonders of the Amazon region. The vast zoological and botanical park in the heart of Belém was later named the Museu Emílio Goeldi in his honour. 

Even today, Emílio Goeldi remains an emblematic figure, a symbol of the positive collaboration between Switzerland and Brazil, and of the passion for discovering and conserving nature. He published pioneering works on Amazonian biodiversity and was actively involved in environmental conservation. His work laid the foundations for many subsequent studies on the Amazon. During COP30 in November 2025, the Museu Emílio Goeldi will host the House of Switzerland, as well as the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. COP30 is the 30th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC organised by the UN. Every year, the conference brings together world leaders to discuss and strengthen commitments to combat climate change. 

Today, Switzerland continues to show a strong commitment to sustainability in Brazil. It does this through extensive bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation on subjects such as the bioeconomy, tropical agriculture, forest and water management, as well as projects involving civil society and indigenous peoples. COP30 is a unique opportunity for Switzerland to reinforce this commitment. With that in mind, the Swiss embassy in Brasilia has created the Road to Belém programme, which brings together various activities of the Swiss network in Brazil (embassy, consulates general and honorary consulates, Swissnex, Swiss Leading House for Latin America/University of St Gallen, Swiss Business Hub, Swisscam, as well as the Swiss private sector) with the aim of promoting economic development and prosperity by identifying sustainable, innovative solutions. 

In October 2023, Switzerland strengthened its commitment to environmental protection by contributing CHF 5 million to the Amazon Fund. This fund, administered by the Brazilian Economic and Social Development Bank (BNDES), aims to combat deforestation and promote sustainable management of natural resources in the Amazon region. This contribution is in recognition of Brazil's efforts to strengthen its action in the field of environmental conservation and sustainable development.

At the same time, Switzerland supports regional cooperation instruments through partnerships with international institutions and the private sector. These include the Inter-American Development Bank's Amazon Bioeconomy Fund, the CorAmazonia project to strengthen a coordinated response to forest fires, and the El Agua Nos Une and SIRWASH water and sanitation initiatives, among others. The Swiss embassy also funds Brazilian civil society partners working to protect the environment and promote human rights. 

As part of its Road to Belém programme, several events organised by the Swiss embassy in Brasilia have already taken place since the end of 2024. This includes the travelling exhibition dedicated to Emílio Goeldi, as well as the second Infrastructure Forum Brazil–Switzerland, held in São Paulo on 23 and 24 October 2024. This event, like all the others planned for 2025, was part of efforts to strengthen the economic, commercial and scientific partnership between Switzerland and Brazil.