At the core of our mission is the commitment and dedication to improve the daily life of the local communities. We are driven by our bold vision that holds the strengthening of local industry at its core, so as to weave a safe and stable economic landscape.
SOCIAL IMPACT
Building resilient communities
At the heart of the Mejuruá Project there is a tangible effort towards the local communities. Indeed, we support these communities’ development just as much as we believe in their essential role in building a sustainable future.
An impactful social plan
The project aims to invest around 40 million USD over a span of 30 years, in social initiatives designed to improve the quality of life of local communities.
Active participation approach
By actively involving local communities, we guarantee that their voices will be heard, recognising and valuing their knowledge of the forest land and its resources.
We have consulted with 9 riverside communities in Carauari (including Bacaba, Vila Nova, Reforma, Lago Serrado, Ressaca, Santa Cruz, Concórdia, Marapatá, São João) and families living on the banks of the Riozinho River within the fazendas in order to understand their actual needs and the ways to ensure their development into the future.
A public hearing was also held in the city of Carauari, involving the local authorities and associations. The interviews highlighted a variety of necessities that this project aims to achieve through a diverse set of undertakings with the following priorities:
Electric power > providing 150 out-of-the-box photovoltaic generation kits to supply electricity to the remote communities located in the project area.
Clean water > to provide and install water treatment equipment, for both purification and filtration, facilitating access to fresh drinking water.
Health > construction and strengthening existing health facilities as well as training health professionals within the local communities, with the overarching goal of improving access to health services.
Accessibility > improvement and construction of new housing for 150 families, increasing their quality of life.
Internet > providing internet access facilities to favour digital inclusion of remote areas.
Education > construction of a residential school in the forest, in alignment with the Government of Amazonas’ ‘Escola da Floresta’ project, with the aim of reinforcing the community’s bond with their territory as well as granting scholarships, all with the aim of promoting and strengthening educational access.
Going beyond:
building a future filled with opportunities
More jobs and greater economic resources
The creation of a plurality of jobs at local level, that is an essential pillar of the project, will allow better life conditions for the communities and significantly improve their people’s well-being. Project activities aimed at social benefits are directly linked to the creation of jobs, inc...
READ MORE
Inclusion and gender equality
The project aims to strengthen the local products value chain for fairer distribution in social and gender terms, and for greater economic benefit to producing communities. This will strengthen the bargaining capacity of farmers and promote fair trade agreements. Benefits are expected to extend regionally, with potential application to other non-timber forest products. Activities include stakeholder mapping and training, especially of women, in sustainable açaí production.
A fair and sustainable economy
The project will make sure that fair-trade initiatives related to extractivism and other small-scale activities are adopted, starting from local açai berry producers: they will benefit from BR ARBO acting as a centralized buyer, to reinforce their local negotiation position and enhance the establishment of fair-trade agreements with international buyers and exporters. The same successful initiatives can also be applied to other non-timber forest products (NTFP) proving that the social benefits of the project can be virtuously extended to the entire region, creating a positive ripple effect.
Stability and safety
There will be the granting of land ownership to over 100 families that have been living within the project area for a substantial amount of time. These people will become “Forest Angels” as they will be directly involved in the local land monitoring.