Tivoli, Brazil

This project serves the preservation of 26,000 ha of Amazonian rainforest by assigning an economic value to it. A number of internationally valued commodities such as natural rubber, açaí, and Brazilian nuts are naturally found in this part of the forest. They are well known to the local communities which inhabit the area.

Together with our project partner IAMAS, reNature will explore opportunities on how these commodities can be harvested and commercialized sustainably and without interfering with precious ecosystem functions. The benefits will be owned by the local communities while the forest will be prevented from deforestation.

An endangered habitat

The Amazon and its local communities are endangered as it increasingly has to make way for human activities such as large agriculture. The project area holds pristine rainforest currently widely untouched by economic activities. However, it is at risk of being cleared for such interventions including a displacement of local settlements. A solution is needed to demonstrate the value of preserving the forest in its natural state to prevent deforestation in the area.

Assessing innovative preservation opportunities

The feasibility study – starting in July 2020 – will build the fundament of this project. It includes an assessment of the project area to 1) map the local communities, 2) allocate potential commodities in the rainforest that could be extracted legally and sustainably, 3) assess the amounts of carbon stored in the project area, and 4) identify degraded/logged areas. The latter will be subject to an agroforestry regeneration program mimicking the natural forest.

Based on this study, a supply chain will be initiated providing local communities with an opportunity to sustainably harvest and market the commodities. All project activities and impacts will be carefully assessed and monitored. In the long term, a hub will be implemented increasing the project’s outreach and communicating its results to the global community.

The objective: Demonstrating conservation benefits

The primary goal of this project is to prevent 26,000 ha of the Amazonian rainforest and its local inhabitants from deforestation and displacement. In the long term, it will serve as a showcase to demonstrate that preserving the Amazon is more profitable than exploiting it.

Inspiring local communities and industry

The local communities of the region have lost their trust in government authorities and other parties due to the continuous destruction of the rainforest. Providing them with an opportunity to co-create a project ensuring income and the preservation of forests will allow for a visualization of a future in the rainforest. The project aspires to define their ownership over the forest’s resources as tangible and valuable means.

Preserving an essential ecosystem

Fostering sustainable management practices of rainforest commodities will ultimately help preserving one of the most biodiverse habitats on earth. Further, the Amazon is also one of the most important ecosystems for our global climate. Regenerating previously logged land through agroforestry will foster biodiversity, increase carbon sequestration and reastiblish  important wildlife corredores.

Empowering local communities

Local communities will be included in all decision-making processes. Sustainable forest management practices will define their ownership over the resources and work as a form of empowerment. If we can showcase the mutual benefits of preserving the forest standing and producing commodities for responsibly acting companies then we can have a positive long-term effect on the communities in the Amazonia region.

Creating economic ownership

This project will assign an economic value to the forest by initiating sustainable management practices of commodities already growing in abundance. Local communities will be granted with income opportunities that facilitate life in the rainforest. As contact with the outside world increases, this life becomes more and more difficult to sustain.

The commodities will yield a premium price to ensure that value is added locally. On the off-taking side, companies are granted with an opportunity to obtain high quality and sustainably sourced produce.

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