Containing more than half of the planet's remaining tropical forests, the Amazon is a region known and recognized worldwide for its natural wealth and enormous biodiversity. When we consider the international Amazon, it is approximately six and a half million square kilometers distributed among 9 countries: Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. The Legal Amazon comprises only the portion of the area located in Brazil, which encompasses nine states: Roraima, Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Rondônia, Amazonas, Pará and Acre, representing approximately 26% of the Brazilian territory.
In this context, one of the states that has been standing out in terms of innovation is Acre. The initiative has been seeking to implement sustainable use models that preserve the forest in the long term and promote social inclusion and income generation for traditional communities (family farmers, riverside producers, extractivists, indigenous people, among others). This initiative has changed the reality of the region, reducing, for example, illegal deforestation and increasing the quality of life and income of the local population.
Canopée, identifying with the purpose of these actions and aiming to contribute even more to this movement, decided to start its operations in Acre.
After an initial structuring phase that involved a detailed study to identify the requirements needed for the best possible approach in Acre, our team set off for the state to get to know first-hand the scenario in which the work would be carried out and the reality that would be faced from the perspective of those who actually live there.
This November, our CEO, Jean Pierre Cantaux, our Director of Socio-Environmental Projects, Mirella Vargas, and our Director of Forestry Operations, Gustavo Baêsso, embarked on a trip to the state of Acre for the second time to learn more about the reality of the Traditional Guardian Communities that live in the area where we will be operating, as well as the Cooperatives and companies that play an important role in the region.
On this occasion, the Canopée team was welcomed and accompanied by representatives of organizations such as the Agroextractivist Cooperative of Mapiá and Médio Purus (Cooperar), Aterelli Assessoria e Consultoria Ambiental, and the INE. This meeting was essential and extremely valuable for the Canopée team, providing knowledge and enabling the understanding of a series of logistical, cultural, social, environmental issues, among others.
In the images we have José Antônio da Conceição Camilo: Cooperar President; Renato Pereira: Aterelli Forestry Technician; Marilda Moreira: INE/Cooperar Executive Coordinator; José Geraldo Tranin: Cooperar Industrial Operations Director
COOPERAR's institutional expertise is to promote sustainable production activities that reconcile the generation of work and income with the conservation of the forest, having 18 years of socio-productive activity in the Amazon. INE develops and promotes projects that meet regenerative and syntropic actions, starting with a transformation that begins with the development of the individual and the involvement of human beings with nature, having 8 years of activity in Brazil and present in the biomes: Amazon Rainforest, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest.
The Director of Socio-Environmental Projects at Canopée, Mirella Vargas, reported on the visit:“It would be hard for anyone to understand the complexity of working in Acre without visiting… The welcome from the Uber to the hotel was admirable and showed us the profile of a happy, proactive, attentive people, who have remained the same as the general rule. In front of the key leaders, the sparkle in their eyes, the drive and determination once again caught our attention. It is possible to notice technical competence and humility linked in an incredible way. I do not remember hearing complaints, only a desire for change and hope in the face of what we were proposing. So much responsibility… Canopée presents itself as a link between development and a voice that is gradually gaining life in the face of an old struggle. The opportunities to help are enormous, but with proportional challenges.”
Regarding the communities visited, the Canopée team was amazed by the strong connection between the people and the elements of nature and biodiversity. Traditional peoples have the forest as their home and therefore present themselves as true guardians of the waters, soil, biodiversity and genetic heritage, and are therefore important allies and fundamental players in the preservation of the Environment.
For us at Canopée, people and the planet are the main focus. Therefore, in order to meet our challenges and carry out our work effectively, it is of the utmost importance that we learn about history from the perspective of those who experience it firsthand and take into account the culture and way of life of the Peoples of the Forest
Av. Pres. Juscelino Kubitschek, 1455 – 4º andar 04543-011 – São Paulo / SP
Brasília - DF
Viçosa - MG
Canopée was founded in early 2020 by a small group of internationally renowned entrepreneurs and executives who decided to pool their skills and experience to benefit the environment and communities living in protected and preserved areas.
