The province of Río Negro has taken an innovative step in the management of its natural resources by approving a commercial agreement with the cosmetics company Novachem for the use of two native species from Patagonia. These are maqui (Aristotelia chilensis) and pichi or palo piche (Fabiana imbricata), plants that the company uses to produce active ingredients marketed in Argentina and abroad. The measure, formalized through Decree 673/26, establishes a royalty mechanism that will allow the province to share in the economic benefits generated by the exploitation of its biodiversity.
According to the provisions of the decree, Novachem must pay the province royalties equivalent to 0.5% for the sale of products made with maqui and 0.25% for those developed with pichi. The agreement not only sets a percentage on sales but also establishes that the funds collected will be entirely allocated to biodiversity conservation, environmental monitoring, and the strengthening of provincial environmental policies.
The initiative seeks to reconcile productive development with the protection of biological heritage. Provincial government officials stated that the goal is to promote economic growth based on knowledge and innovation, without losing control over genetic resources. In this sense, the agreement recognizes Río Negro's sovereignty over its natural resources and requires that the plant material used by the company come from duly registered local suppliers.
The agreement also establishes traceability mechanisms and state control throughout the entire value chain. The company cannot carry out new extractions of genetic resources without the express authorization of the province, and the possibility of revising Río Negro's economic participation percentage according to market evolution is foreseen. These clauses seek to ensure that the province maintains an active role in the regulation and supervision of the activity.
The signing of the agreement with Novachem represents an unprecedented precedent in the region and lays the groundwork for future agreements with other companies interested in the commercial use of native species. The Secretariat of Environment and Climate Change, which led the negotiations, highlighted that the royalty model allows for generating resources for conservation without hindering private investment, and that control over extractions ensures the long-term sustainability of the resource.
With this measure, Río Negro positions itself as one of the first Argentine provinces to implement a system of economic compensation for the use of its biodiversity for commercial purposes. The challenge now will be to monitor compliance with the agreement and evaluate its impact both on the conservation of the species and on the development of the local cosmetics industry, in a context where the demand for natural ingredients of Patagonian origin continues to grow.
