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Photo: Rodrigo Duarte

Group meets in October, in Manaus, to immerse activities aimed at developing a business plan and socio-environmental impact thesis 

From October 16th to 20th, entrepreneurs from 9 businesses selected by the impact accelerator AMAZ to participate in the pre-acceleration process will be together in Manaus, on an immersion journey to develop their business plans and socio-environmental impact thesis in the Amazon.  

The businesses that will participate in the pre-acceleration process are: Amaz amazon Super Plants, Apoena, ATLAS Florestal, BioAmazon, Coordenada Rural, FarFarm, Flor da Samaúma, MOMA and Zeno Nativo. They were selected from among 112 registrants in the AMAZ 2023 Call. 

The pre-acceleration begins with the in-person meeting and continues over the course of a month, virtually, with access to advice, mentoring and technical support from the AMAZ team and Idesam (Institute for Conservation and Sustainable Development of the Amazon). 

The objective is to help entrepreneurs understand and maximize their business growth capacity in financial, technical, operational terms and, especially, positive socio-environmental impact. 

The performance of the businesses during this period will define those that will be accelerated and receive investment in 2024, becoming part of the AMAZ portfolio. 

“Pre-acceleration is the final stage of the selection process, but it is also where we begin to understand business needs to chart the acceleration journey for those who are selected. All 9 who made it this far will receive our support for a month in the pre-acceleration phase, which qualifies them to seek new support or join other acceleration processes, as well as in the design of their impact theses,” defines Rafael Moreira Ribeiro, responsible for business selection at AMAZ/Idesam. 

The 9 finalist businesses work with innovative solutions for the development of products and services in strategic value chains for the conservation of the Amazon, such as reforestation and agroforestry production, agriculture, livestock and sustainable rural production, socio-biodiversity products and cosmetics. 

They are located in the states of Pará, Amazonas, Amapá, Maranhão, São Paulo and Santa Mônica, California (USA). Call 2023 made it possible to register businesses whose operations take place in the Legal Amazon, but which could also be based in other regions of the country. 

The AMAZ selection focused on early stage businesses that have already validated their product or service in the market and preferably are already earning more than R$ 500 thousand per year. Most businesses are in the traction and organization phase. Some projects in earlier stages were selected for presenting innovative solutions with the potential to gain scale post-acceleration. 

The projects selected for acceleration and investment in 2024 will be announced in December. 

Discover the businesses selected for pre-acceleration: 

AMAZ Amazon Super Plants = Works with the creation of drinks made with sustainable ingredients that contribute to the regeneration of the planet and people's well-being. The startup was built around Regenerative Agroforestry and supporting biodiversity in the Amazon Rainforest, using ingredients such as yerba mate, Suma Root, mushrooms from the Yanomami Forest and Muirapuama bark and guaraná. It is headquartered in Santa Monica, California (USA).  

Apoena = Seeks to improve the working conditions of babassu breakers, increase the economic and marketing potential of Coco Babaçu and the generation of income for the people involved. Location of activity: state of MA. 

BioAmazon = Technology-based company focused on developing new bio-inputs for agribusiness. It provides its customers with a Bioprocess as a Service (BPaaS) platform. It seeks to provide rural farmers with practicality and safety in the production of microorganisms through their own production of bio-inputs. Location of operation: state of AM. 

Samaúma Flower = It operates in bioeconomy and ecotourism and seeks to expand the production capacity of açaí, cupuaçu and taperebá wines on the farm where a winery for these products is located. Location of activity: state of AP. 

Native Zeno= Production of fine native cocoa beans and high quality Brazil nuts. The project seeks to expand the production and sale of cocoa beans and nuts. Location of activity: state of PA. 

ATLAS Forestry = Productive forest restoration company. Plans, models, implements and monitors productive forests, with a multidisciplinary technical council capable of developing regenerative and personalized actions. It operates across the entire forest restoration and agroforestry chain. It is headquartered in the state of SP. 

Rural Coordinate = It consists of the proposal of socio-productive assistance to family farmers who have cocoa cultivation in an Agroforestry System and dual-purpose cattle farming as their main sources of income, in order to enable the execution of actions aimed at improving the quality of life with an increase in productivity and income generation for rural producers. Location of activity: state of PA. 

FarFarm = Consultancy that helps companies enhance their production chains as protagonists of brands, through relationships with communities in the Amazon. Location of operation: states of PA and MT. 

MOMA = Natural cosmetics made with Amazonian oil inputs and 100% compostable packaging, which seek to strengthen their value chains through fair trade and supplier training. It is headquartered in SP. Locations of operation: states of PA, AM, AC and AP. 

About AMAZ  

THE AMAZ impact accelerator is coordinated by Idesam (Institute for Conservation and Sustainable Development of the Amazon), and has a hybrid financing fund (blended finance) of R$ 25 million for investment in impact businesses over the next five years, the first aimed exclusively at the region. Its founders and strategic partners are Fundo Vale, Instituto humanize, ICS (Instituto Clima e Sociedade), Good Energies Foundation, Fundo JBS pela Amazônia and PPA (Plataforma Parceiros pela Amazônia). It also has a wide network of partners such as Move.Social, Sense-Lab, ICE, Climate Ventures, SBSA Advogados, Mercado Livre, Costa Brasil and private investors.

Photo: Disclosure Navegam

In July of this year, the navigate, an AMAZ portfolio company, was recognized as one of the expanding businesses in Brazil by the Exame Business in Expansion Ranking 2023 , an initiative by EXAME, BTG Pactual (from the same EXAME control group) and technical support from PwC Brasil. 

The survey considers the evolution of Net Operating Revenue (NOR) from one year to the next, in five categories, according to the companies' revenues. Navegam was classified in the category between R$ 2 million to R$ 5 million, among 59 companies from different regions of the country. 

The complete list brings 335 companies from 22 states, representing the five regions of the country, and is a form of recognition for businesses, as those selected have demonstrated that, with efficient management, opportunity analysis and new strategies, they managed to advance in the market. 

“We ranked 22nd out of 59 companies, growing 82%. Entering this ranking, which is already the largest entrepreneurship ranking in Brazil, is very important for Navegam, especially because we are from the Amazon. We show that here we have the structure to undertake and, above all, to grow and create jobs. Showing Brazil the notoriety and work we are doing today is very important. More and more we need to give visibility to the system of innovation and entrepreneurship that we have here in the Amazon. This recognition brought visibility and also many good contacts,” analyzes Michelle Guimarães, partner and Chief Governance Officer (CGO) at Navegam.

The growth of 82% was well planned. The company closed 2021 with revenues around R$ 1.2 million, and reached 2022 with R$ 2.2 million. The company doubled the number of customers and reach, proving the thesis that working with logistics in the Amazon is essential. 

The expectation for 2023 is to have revenues up to three times greater than in 2022, due to the entry of large customers such as TV Lar, a traditional retail company with more than 50 years in operation. Today, Navegam is responsible for all of TV Lar's logistics in the interior of the state of Amazonas.

Company started the year 2023 heated

Navegam ended 2022 with a significant investment contribution, and the first half of 2023 was marked by the start of the operation of the platform for tracking and monitoring production chains, with the carrying out of a pilot project with the Apuí Agroforestry Coffee. The platform was even awarded by HackBrazil, at the Brazilian Conference, in Harvard, ranking second among about 300 Brazilian startups. Nevegam was the first to represent Amazonas at the event.

“We are doing this pilot, finishing all the adjustments, understanding how the platform will behave, so that we can replicate it with other industries. We have data that, in the state of Amazonas alone, we have 21 types of productive chains mapped. We are talking about around 90,000 small producers in the state. Our idea is to focus more and more on this product [platform], mainly with public-private partnerships, so that we can understand how this ecosystem can improve. That's our big goal with the platform. It is yet another business front that we are opening, mainly focused on social impact and sustainable development,” says Michelle.

Navegam, which today has more than 30 employees, started working with the digitization of river crossings, offering e-commerce, but during the course of the process, in conversations with the people who offered the services of the vessels and with retail customers, soon the potential of logistics leapt to the eye. Many companies needed to improve their deliveries to the interior of the Amazon, and so Navegam expanded its operations to this front. “Today, logistics is our main business. As we don't have roads, we depend on the rivers, this front brings very good opportunities,” analyzes the company's CGO.

Today, Navegam has more than 70 vessels registered in the system, covering all destinations in Amazonas and also some destinations in Pará. Ticket e-commerce makes life easier for people, but also provides information on interurban mobility. The company is building data intelligence to understand consumer behavior, including travel frequency, most searched places, busiest cities, etc. A very rich object of study to improve fluvial mobility.

To manage all this, it adopted SAP Business One (B1), software for small and medium-sized companies that allows it to coordinate operations, consolidate data and ensure more agility, reducing costs and maintenance, standardizing processes and improving performance. It is the first company in the North region to use the tool. The implementation of the project is in charge of H&CO, a multinational group in the field of tax consultancy. 

“With the implementation of the SAP system, and because it is now the largest management system in the world, we will have more and more credibility with future investors and partners in relation to our data and management. The implementation was strategic, aiming precisely at this growth with other markets. It makes it much easier to check our numbers,” adds Michelle.

Photo: Latimpacto Disclosure

AMAZ is present at two major events held in August: the Impact Minds 2023 Conference: Stand Together 2023, from Latimpacto, an ecosystem builder that stands out for increasing the flow of human, intellectual and financial capital for impact in Latin America and the Caribbean; and the Glocal Experience Manaus 2023, which takes place in the historic center of the capital of Amazonas, with the proposal to promote dialogues, meetings and culture to think about new tomorrows from a local and global perspective.

Through Latimpacto, AMAZ is part of the Pan-Amazônia group, which seeks to promote spaces for dialogue for connection and shared learning between financial organizations operating in the region. This group promoted three online sessions on the themes 1. Conceptualizing the bioeconomy in the Amazon, 2. Advancing the bioeconomy based on doubts and certainties about investments and enterprises, and 3. What remains to be done and developed? Building the path to a positive, inclusive and sustainable bioeconomy in the Amazon.

The ultimate goal of this series of meetings is to develop the 1st paper with recommendations for governments and capital providers on the state of the bioeconomy in the region, which will be released at the Impact Minds Conference.

Gabriela Souza, responsible for accelerating business and institutional management at AMAZ/Idesam, will participate in the conference as part of the thematic panel on “The frontier of the bioeconomy and opportunities in the Pan-Amazon”, together with Aline Souza (SBSA Advogados), Márcia Soares ( Fundo Vale) and Maurício Verkooijen (NESst). The event, which takes place from the 28th to the 30th of August, is aimed exclusively at funders and impact capital mobilizers.

“Participation in this group has been very rich in strengthening AMAZ's presence in the ecosystem, enabling the connection with actors and potential national and international partners that have similar and/or complementary actions to ours and exchange of experiences and learning. The Conference will be an opportunity to bring this group closer together, mainly pan-Amazonian actors, but also to expose the work we have been doing for investors who are not yet adept at or far from the thesis – we will compose the academic agenda in a conversation with Nesst, Fundo Vale and SBSA to discuss the frontiers and opportunities of the bioeconomy in the Amazon”, analyzes Gabriela.

The Amazon Program at Casa Floresta em Pé will also be present at the Latimpacto conference with a stand to present the initiative and sell products.

Glocal Experience for the first time in Manaus

THE glocal defines itself as a platform for ideas and actions to fulfill the 2030 Agenda, based on the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. The first edition took place in 2022, in Rio de Janeiro, and was attended by thousands of people, offering content, workshops, workshops and cultural attractions.

In 2023, in addition to taking place once again in Rio de Janeiro, Glocal arrives in Manaus with the same format, with free access to activities and with the intention of being a catalyst for the union of different sectors, initiatives and people in the search for solutions for achieving the 2030 Agenda. The movement's premise is to think globally and act locally, encouraging various pacts for the implementation of the SDGs.  

In the capital of Amazonas, the Glocal Experience will take place from the 26th to the 28th of August, with activities at Largo São Sebastião (Show Stage and Espaço Criança), Palácio da Justiça (Impact Stage / Challenges and Solutions Stage / Hands-On Space), Hall of Hotel Juma Ópera (Glocal Stage) and at Teatro Amazonas (Shows: Encontro das Águas and Encontro dos Bois de Parintins).

Rafael Moreira, responsible for business selection at AMAZ/Idesam, participates in the event composing the panel “Business with Impact: The Challenges of Generating Profit and Positive Impact”, which will take place on 08/27, from 12:00 to 13:00, in the Salão do Hotel Juma Opera.

“The Global Experience Manaus event echoes AMAZ's own way of acting, seeking to integrate international, regional and local actors into a broad agenda with the purpose of keeping the forest standing, conserving and benefiting traditional populations and communities, integrating to actors of the most varied forms of social action. Specifically in this agenda, we will talk about the challenge of integrating impact and profit.”

Photo: Rodrigo Duarte

Entrepreneurs from Ekilibre, Cumbaru, Manawara, Mazô Maná and Simbiotica Finance met in Manaus in early August for the last face-to-face meeting of the 2023 acceleration journey to work on two focuses: scale and growth, as well as a diagnosis of the journey to acceleration.

The programming focused on the first focus included conversations on governance and challenges in leveraging investments in businesses in the Amazon. Participants worked on planning fundraising rounds, building individual roadmaps, reviewing and refining pitches and collective exchanges. And they had the opportunity to participate in a pitch day, presenting their businesses to investors, financiers and impact ecosystem partners.

The second focus, analysis of the acceleration journey, came as a diagnosis of what was developed from the development plan outlined with the businesses at the beginning of the journey and preparation for the next phase of the relationship with the accelerator, when these businesses will be monitored by the team responsible for monitoring the implementation and monitoring of the journey of each one of them while they are part of the portfolio.

“This workshop brought a diagnosis of the acceleration journey, but also aimed at the next steps. The presence of financiers, investors and ecosystem partners created a safe environment for validating the business strategy, on what demands still exist, what support can be given and what questions need to be asked to find better answers", analyzes Gabriela Souza, coordinator of acceleration from AMAZ.

Gabriela recalls that the business journey began while still in the selection process, with due diligence and pre-acceleration, when the AMAZ team began to understand the demands, bottlenecks and points of support they needed. Based on the investment plan, the acceleration directed support on individual fronts, with strategic advice from partners and also from Idesam and AMAZ, based on experience in previous journeys.

Mariano Cenamo, CEO of AMAZ and new business director at Idesam, highlights the development of companies throughout the program's acceleration stages and next steps:

“We are in a very interesting moment, where companies are starting to make successive rounds of attracting new investors to take a new leap in growth. This workshop that we are holding now is one of those steps, where we help to structure a growth plan and AMAZ can make an additional capital contribution aimed at leveraging new direct investments. One of the great expectations is precisely this, to be a catalytic capital that can leverage more and more capital from private and philanthropic investors or even from research and development for business growth.”

Supporters, investors and financiers attended the workshop

The last meeting of the acceleration journey was attended by Sâmera Adães, from Fundo JBS pela Amazônia, Liz Lacerda and Isabela xxx, from Fundo Vale, as well as Marcelo Forma and Ilana Minev, investors in the accelerator.

The four participated in the pitch day with the businesses, listening carefully to the presentations and suggesting adjustments, highlighting strengths and opportunities.

“For us, at Fundo JBS pela Amazônia, it is a pleasure to be part of this second round of business acceleration. For me, who followed this group back there, since the selection, it is particularly rich to see the maturity they reached and the contribution that AMAZ itself brought to this with the Theory of Change and the impact approach, and to know that they are getting ready now to receive the follow on. We are open for whatever they need and we continue to follow AMAZ”, analyzes Sâmera.

Liz Lacerda and Isabella Zicarelli, from Fundo Vale, highlight the cooperation that businesses establish with each other as one of the greatest differentials in the process of accelerating AMAZ, in addition to the environment of trust created between them, with openness and transparency.

“For Fundo Vale, created to support impact initiatives, it is very interesting to see how this resource is being invested in the acceleration program. Being part of this program generates a mattress of confidence for these businesses, of stability, a structure that is not merely an institutional support. AMAZ places itself in this place of making connections and making use of its entire history, of all the team's connections, whether here in the Amazon or throughout Brazil, to support the business. The contract that the fund has with AMAZ is one of the only ones with an extended term, so it is a real bet for the fund in this acceleration program format. We have many expectations, there are many results being delivered, and we continue to co-create this program”, defines Liz.

For Isabella, “AMAZ helps Fundo Vale with one of its main challenges, which is deciding where to place patient capital, which is catalytic, in order to leverage more impact. The accelerator is one of the long-term initiatives that we support, and it will be a very successful case at the end of the cycle”.

Entrepreneurs highlight connections and a safe environment for exchanges and construction

The recognition of the importance of the connections provided by AMAZ and its network for business growth is unanimous among the entrepreneurs, who also highlight the validation with the impact ecosystem for going through the acceleration process and integrating the accelerator's portfolio, as a kind of 'seal of trust'. In addition to financial and impact modeling and communication support.

“Cumbaru arrives at the end of the acceleration much more prepared for the next steps that lie ahead. The main values that AMAZ brings to us are the connection with investors, support in the financial modeling of our business and impact modeling. We also had support with our communication, an important point in which we needed to advance”, defines Pedro Nogueira, CEO and co-founder of Cumbaru Parcerias.

Airam Correa Marçal, partner of Mazô Maná, reinforces the importance of participating in the AMAZ network to strengthen the business: “Throughout this process there was learning, our business today is undoubtedly more prepared. The contact with other entrepreneurs also strengthened us a lot. Being with an institution like AMAZ, and with this group of investors, sort of supported the story of Mazô Maná and everything we were looking for. We are going to embark on a stronger growth journey now, improve the portfolio, ensure financial resilience, while also going on an international journey.”

Marcelo Salazar, also founder of Mazô Maná, highlights the accelerator's contribution to modeling the interface between productive forest systems with communities and payment for social and environmental services and carbon: "We had several conversations, we evolved in this strategy, we managed to close the first partnerships along these lines, and I think that was the main thing we sought in this acceleration. The selection of AMAZ also encouraged other investors and partners with whom we were already talking, and it certainly also made a difference for the last investors that we brought to Mazô. We are in the final stretch of launching our first product and we are going to really put the company on the market.”

Paula Palermo, founder of Simbiotica Finance, also points out the recognition of a business with an impact given by AMAZ as fundamental to participating in the ecosystem: “For us it is very important to be involved with the projects, to have access to resources and to that seal of quality of impact that AMAZ and Idesam bring. It is a recognition for us in this territory, and what opened the most doors.”

For Kairós Canavarro, CEO of Ekilibre Amazônia, the new opportunities brought by the accelerator in the fields of investors and markets have broadened the company's horizons. “Today I believe much more in the company, I have a much better network of contacts and I can see with more reality what I want to achieve, which is to make the company generate a lot of income in the communities, to be a reference in the national and international market. The acceleration represented for me openness, network, vision of the future and choice.”

“It was great to meet people who share the same goals, and what's better, people who are extremely qualified to do what they do, and who can be trusted. As a business, we went from five products to 25. We went from a franchise project to a point of sale already operating, six franchises already signed to start operating in the coming months and four more to be signed by the end of the year. The acceleration was a mix of a lot of learning – impact, commercial value, business growth”, says Mércio Sena, CEO of Manawara.

The different business profiles, while bringing many challenges to the acceleration journey, have demands that are connected. They operate in different markets, but face the same entrepreneurship challenges in the Amazon.

“That's why this richness of the acceleration journey is a collective stage, with many exchanges, where they manage to have a safe environment to validate strategies, potential partnerships and creative business models, which can bring a better impact result. This journey does not end here. The businesses remain in our portfolio for a few years, so that we can achieve the expected impact result and also their development as major players in this ecosystem”, concludes Gabriela Souza.

Photo: Rodrigo Duarte

Entrepreneurs from the Cumbaru Parcerias, Ekilibre Amazônia, Manawara, Mazô Maná and Simbiótica businesses, accelerated in 2023 by AMAZ, participate in the last in-person workshop, which will be held in the first week of August, in Manaus.

The meeting has two main focuses: scale and business growth and diagnosis of the acceleration journey.

The program focused on the first focus includes roundtables on governance and challenges in leveraging investments in businesses in the Amazon, with the participation of specialists in the themes. Participants will work on planning fundraising rounds, building individual roadmaps, reviewing and refining pitches and collective exchanges. And they will have the opportunity to participate in a pitch day, presenting their business to guests.

The second focus, analysis of the acceleration journey, comes as a diagnosis of what was developed from the development plan outlined with the businesses at the beginning of the journey and preparation for the next phase of the relationship with the accelerator, when these businesses will be monitored by the business team, responsible for monitoring the implementation and following the journey of each one of them while they are part of the portfolio.

“This month of July comes as a validation of everything that has been done on this journey from the business action plan, which was prepared during the selection process, validated with them at the beginning of the acceleration and executed since the month of January. Now, the idea is precisely to have a diagnosis of this acceleration, understanding the value contributed and the impact of AMAZ on these businesses over the last few months and how they evolved from the initial stage until now”, analyzes Gabriela Souza, AMAZ acceleration coordinator.

“And we will also understand how to reconcile this with the needs for growth and scale for the next stage. Thinking both about the next rounds of funding and about movements in relation to productive, operational capacity, strengthening with suppliers or community partners”.

AMAZ's acceleration journey offers a vast menu of activities along the acceleration journey, which includes individual mentoring and advice, collective thematic webinars and also face-to-face meetings, where exchanges and interactions take place at a closer level, with the collective intelligence of the businesses contributing to the evolution of each one individually.

“The face-to-face meetings bring a lot of strength and are of great importance as a space for exchanging experiences and support in building each other. These moments end up inspiring and encouraging entrepreneurs, generating new questions that can often drive changes in business. This last workshop will help them realize what they built with us throughout the acceleration, together, reflecting not only individual development, but also interesting things that emerged and will still emerge from this interaction”, he adds.

Photo: Cumbaru Parcerias

In early July, Cumbaru Parcerias, a business that is part of AMAZ's portfolio, made a technical visit to the Pasto Vivo project, led by Luxor Agro and Meraki Impact. Located in the municipality of Pontes e Lacerda, Mato Grosso, the Pasto Vivo project has been standing out as one of the references in the implementation of regenerative silvopastoral systems nationwide, and Cumbaru was there to get to know the experience of the project up close and strengthen relations with this partner strategic.

At São Benedito Farm, where the Pasto Vivo project is implemented, several production systems are tested, with variations in tree species, spacing between rows in the tree planting rows and spacing between rows. The objective is to identify the arrangements that present the best performance, considering the interaction between trees, pasture and cattle, so that they can later be replicated at scale.

Another interesting feature of the system being implemented by the project is the holistic management of livestock, following the concepts of Savory Institute. Pasture management and animal stocking are carried out in an unconventional way, but show good zootechnical results in line with good biodiversity and carbon indicators, according to the Institute.

“These were days of much learning and exchange of experiences. We were very happy to strengthen this partnership with the Pasto Vivo Project, because in addition to operating in the same state, Mato Grosso, we work with similar production systems, with similar objectives, such as, for example, the production of calves free of deforestation and the production of Brazil nuts. from baru. We certainly have a lot to learn from each other in the coming years.” analyzes Pedro Nogueira, Co-founder and CEO of Cumbaru.

Photos: Mahta Disclosure

In June, during NaturalTech, Mahta, specialized in natural and regenerative foods, launched organic chestnut milk powder, with 100% of Brazil nuts. In addition, the business announced the entry of a new partner: Chef Thiago Castanho from Pará.

Nut milk powder is a regenerative and sustainable alternative to cow's milk, being 100% natural and whole. It does not contain lactose, gluten, sugar, preservatives, flavors or thickeners.

“We are talking about a commitment to health and the environment. Its nutritional profile is impressive, high in vitamins and low in sugars and carbohydrates. In addition, it is rich in unsaturated fats, such as omega-3, which are essential for heart and brain health. By choosing this product, we are supporting a sustainable and regenerative production model, which values biodiversity and contributes to the preservation of the Amazon rainforest and its natural resources”, analyzes Edgard Calfat, founding partner of Mahta.

Max Petrucci, also founder of the business, points out that the company's mission in its trajectory is to support the AFS model (Agroforestry Systems) and strengthen the positive social impact through fair and solid relationships with small extractive communities in the Amazon.

new partner

Mahta now also has a new partner, the chef from Pará Thiago Castanho, known for his role as presenter of the program “Sabores da Floresta” on Canals Globo, in which he presents viewers with the richness of Amazonian cuisine, exploring typical ingredients, such as tucupi, açaí and jambu, in addition to presenting traditional recipes and techniques.

“I am very happy to become a partner of Mahta. We share a common purpose of learning and sharing forest knowledge with Brazil and the world, as we believe that this valuable knowledge can enrich lives, preserve nature and promote awareness of the importance of biodiversity”, said Thiago Castanho, Brazilian-born chef in Belém do Pará, where he grew up amidst the diversity and richness of Amazonian cuisine. 

“The partnership with Thiago Castanho is a milestone for Mahta. Your knowledge, talent and passion for the Amazon inspire us and strengthen our commitment to sustainability and forest preservation. Together, we intend to further explore the richness of Amazonian cuisine and develop products that value biodiversity and local culture”, says Max.

Participation in Natural Tech

Mahta participated in NaturalTech, the largest natural products fair in Latin America, with its own stand. The business had already experienced participation last year, through the stand of the Amazônia program in Casa Floresta em Pé, promoted by AMAZ, Idesam and Climate Ventures to provide access to markets.

Max evaluates this year's experience as very positive, so much so that Mahta should participate in the fair again in 2024:

“Participation this year was very important, mainly to reinforce reputation. And this has a primary impact on sales, in our case through influencers. Usually, fairs like NaturalTech have retail as their main channel. The brands' main objective is to welcome retailers who go there to do research and learn about new products. We received almost 100 polls from this audience. We are not at that moment, but, on the other hand, a similar mechanism happens with influencers. Many that we still didn't know, or that we weren't close to, came to our stand and gave us feedback on the brand and the product. And we sell about R$ 40 thousand worth of products. For all the reasons, the participation was very good.”

Photo: AMAZ Disclosure

AMAZ and two of its portfolio businesses – Mazô Maná and Simbiótica Finance – held a workshop in May in Altamira, Pará, addressing Payments for Social and Environmental Services (PSSA).

Two fronts were the focus of this meeting: the beginning of an articulation to build a methodology for PSSA not limited to carbon, but taking into account the full protection of the territory by indigenous peoples, riverside people and quilombolas; and Mazô Maná's strategy in relation to community suppliers, especially focused on the Terra do Meio Canteen Network, based on fair trade with additional payments based on the appreciation of the community's way of life.

Mazô Maná's business modeling was the catalyst for the workshop, which also brought together other partners such as iCS (Instituto Clima e Sociedade), SBSA (Szazi, Bechara, Storto, Reicher e Figueiredo Lopes Advogados) and Idesam (Instituto de Conservação and Sustainable Development of the Amazon).

The group visited the headquarters of Mazô Maná and participated in an expedition, organized in partnership with Mazô Maná, which included a visit to the business headquarters in Altamira, and also to one of the partner communities of Resex Rio Iriri. Some of the ingredients in Mazô Maná's first product, which will be launched soon, come from the region, and the expedition's participants were able to taste the product firsthand.

“We talked about new PSSA models, which can generate an important increase in income for forest communities, associated with the sale of ingredients. As we see in the Amazon deforestation maps, it is clear that where there are forest peoples, there are standing forests. This is largely due to the way of life of these populations, which results in important services to society such as monitoring forest invasions, conservation of biodiversity, among others”, highlights Marcelo Salazar, CEO of Mazô Maná.

The intention is to develop a methodology that is replicable: “The idea is that what is being built is also adaptable to other regions of the Amazon. This will require inserting new actors into this discussion. We are taking the first step of something bigger here. Mazô Maná is with us as a catalyst for a methodology that will need the involvement of other organizations to be made viable”, assesses Gabriela Souza, AMAZ acceleration coordinator.

Victoria Bastos, coordinator of Idesam's Climate Change and Environmental Services Program, points out that what is thought for this PSSA methodology has similarities with the concept of fair trade, present in the supply chain market, but goes beyond what would be a PSSA fully linked to the product that suppliers deliver.

“It is a larger strategy, which does not only involve suppliers and the commercial relationship, but involves the entire Resex. Of being able to have an additional resource to what they already get through the Cantinas Network with the sale and preparation of products, which can guarantee the long-term sustainability of these organizations. And the format could be a PSSA that is not limited to carbon, but that can consider other resources and environmental services of the Reserve, conserved by the way of life of those who live there. Prove that this is related to forest conservation.”

Rafaela Romano, co-founder of Simbiótica Finance, points out that the group made the exercise, based on existing models of relationships with communities, to highlight which parameters need to be improved and which should not be repeated.

“Some of the points raised are the viability of a PSSA system for small communities, a model in which the money for carrying out the process is not greater than the money destined for the communities; and the complexity of creating a model whose understanding is feasible both for those who already deal with the carbon market and for the communities. We talked a lot about the possibility of having, as an indicator of an environmental service to be paid, the very management of the territory based on being in the forest. Walking/navigating through the forest as responsible for territorial management and conservation. We have this virtuous cycle of conservation related to existence”, he evaluates.

Aline Souza, from the SBSA law firm, which advises AMAZ and its portfolio businesses, highlights the power of the accelerator's work in connecting entrepreneurs and relevant people in the socio-environmental impact ecosystem.

“In legal terms, it is an opportunity in the current regulatory agenda to propose market solutions for valuing the traditional way of life, of those who live in the forest, and how this connects with economic production. We still live in a scenario of very basic regulation in relation to the carbon market, which brings an opportunity for market agents who want to bring innovation and are committed to this generation of positive socio-environmental impact.”

She considers that well-consolidated experiences, creating good success stories, can inspire the creation of public policies in the future, at a time when Brazil is once again being closely observed in relation to investments and actions for the protection of the Amazon.

SBSA is at the forefront of a project to define guidelines and recommendations for fair contracts between communities and companies in the Amazon, which has several organizations on its advisory board, including Idesam. Aline points out that the methodology is anchored in three principles: it's only fair if you can understand it; it is only fair if it reduces asymmetries; and it's only fair if it improves people's lives.

“Following this methodology of fair contracts, we believe that it is possible to contribute to a new level of negotiation with communities, valuing their protagonism, their traditional way of life and the positive socio-environmental impact at the same time that we positively generate solutions financial resources for the people involved”, he adds.

Photo: Rodrigo Duarte/AMAZ

From the 14th to the 17th of June, businesses from the AMAZ portfolio will participate in the Natural Tech, the largest natural products fair in Latin America.

Na'kau, which produces chocolates with cocoa native to the Amazon, and Mahta, which produces superfoods with ingredients from the Amazon, will have their own stands during the fair.

Mahta, in addition to its well-known powdered superfood product, has news and the launch of a new product on the market. 

Soul Brazil, manawara, maniac and amazonique, also part of the accelerator's portfolio, will be present through the Amazon Program at Casa Floresta em Pé, which will have a point of sale including dozens of brands that are part of the Program.

In 2022, the Program participated for the first time in Natural Tech, promoting Amazonian brands and product launches. 4,627 products were sold, making a total of R$ 137,854.20.

This year, participation takes place with a 25m² stand, bringing the experience of a large Amazonian emporium. The expectation is for the strengthening of the project as a whole and of the brands in the market. 

Created in 2020, the movement Amazon in Casa Floresta in Foot It is coordinated by Idesam (Institute for the Conservation and Sustainable Development of the Amazon), by AMAZ Acceladora de Impacto and by Climate Ventures, and its purpose is to unlock market access for producers of Amazonian sociobiodiversity.

Its supporters are Mercado Livre, the largest e-commerce platform in Latin America, Fundo Vale, GIZ, CLUA, Instituto humanize and Instituto Clima e Sociedade.

Photo: Pedro Nogueira/Cumbaru

Sítio Conquista, in Alta Floresta, Mato Grosso, is Cumbaru's first partner property in the implementation of regenerative agrosilvipastoral systems. 

The activities are being carried out in an area of 20 hectares, and so far there is already milk production, transfer of embryos formed in the laboratory for the production of deforestation-free beef calves and preparation of silage to complement the feeding of cattle during the dry season. . 

“This first partnership, with Mr. Gilmar, represents a lot for Cumbaru. We are now, in fact, at the beginning of the process to produce food and other products with low carbon emissions and free of deforestation in the Amazon. All of this makes it possible for family farmers to have access to financial resources and technical knowledge to implement good agricultural practices, one of the main pain points of this group”, analyzes Pedro Nogueira, Co-founder and CEO of Cumbaru.

Through Cumbaru's rural partnerships, milk, zero-deforestation beef calves, bananas, wood, non-timber forest products such as baru, and forest carbon will be produced. The forestry and agricultural component of the agrosilvopastoral system will be implemented as of the 2023/2024 harvest.