Working with biodiversity in Brazil is only possible for those who manage to combine their passion for life, in all its forms, with technical expertise. After all, far beyond the species that make up the fauna and flora, we are talking about a complex ecosystem that encompasses social, economic and cultural elements of people in communion with the biomes in which they live.
That's why, in 2022, the Bio Abundance Program was born, a result of more than two decades of practices and knowledge systematized by a team that truly loves and knows what they do. In other words, it is an initiative that uses the latest technology to take care of life and generate value for people and companies that work with national biodiversity.
The entire structure of Bio Abundance is connected, in some way, to five pillars. Both individually and combined, they guide a complex chain of activities led by our professionals. From the UN Sustainable Development Goals to decades of daily contact with people and their concrete reality, the pillars are the result of a long and pioneering trajectory of work in the area. We are talking about:
We believe in annual purchase forecasts and long-term relationships because we know that for our partners this is synonymous with quality of life, security and prosperity.
We do not agree with communities or productive arrangements that, for whatever reason, work in a predatory manner or make use of timber products. We offer assistance so that our partners can increase the levels of care and preservation in their activities.
We believe in active listening and empowerment of communities, in addition to seeking collaboration from project design stage.
We value national products and their prominence in Brazil and the world.
We have a flair for innovation, making previously unknown ingredients win the hearts of consumers through their qualities and stories.
We bring to life partnerships that work for everyone, without exception.
Practices that reflect our care for people, the environment and the species that are part of it.
When it comes to biodiversity, one of the main missions of the Bio Abundance program is to create responsible and, above all, sustainable production chains in the broadest sense of the term. We consider aspects ranging from the lifestyle of a given community to the natural cycles of the species chosen by our partners.
In other words, when a company decides to incorporate elements of Brazilian biodiversity into its products, it can count on us to do so in the right way, without generating damage related to irresponsible exploitation - from illegal deforestation to the misuse of endangered species, for example.
At the end of the day, the Bio Abundance program exists to ensure that you, as a consumer, may have access to products that:
At the end of the day, Bio Abundance is an ecosystem of relationships, connecting producers and extractivists with companies that use biodiversity inputs in their products.
In addition to mediating contact between all the parties involved, the initiative plays a leading role in the development of all aspects of a project, from mapping suppliers to guaranteeing deliveries with quality, scale and operating certifications for the most varied types of products.
In a simpler way, we can say that Bio Abundance is responsible for ensuring that processes and products are traceable, safe and capable of providing consumers with a purchase offer that is good for people and the environment. Throughout the year, our experienced field team has the mission of understanding and mapping the potentials and needs of the most varied profiles of social arrangements linked to biodiversity.
To this end, we have systematized our work into five main stages:
Our activities begin when a partner seeks the Bio Abundance Program to incorporate biodiversity into their products. In other words, companies tell us which species they would like to work with and on which type of project; our team then starts to structure a scope of activities.
With this scope in hand, our Biodiversity team makes a first cross-reference between the client's needs and the offers previously mapped out. This way, it is possible to understand whether the network we already work with can meet the new demand or whether it will be necessary to establish new partnerships.
Regardless of the path to be followed, this moment is marked by intense communication with communities and cooperatives, including technical visits so that we can evaluate – or re-evaluate – a series of formal requirements. Here, it’s worth to use a widely known word to illustrate what we do: audit. After all, we analyze over 25 aspects to understand whether or not a particular partner is qualified to be part of the project that will be implemented by the client who contacted us, and what improvements would be necessary for this qualification.
With an eye on a working model that brings harmony to the use of biodiversity inputs, it is our role to encourage the plurality of products. In other words, we provide our clients with a range of possibilities, so that we don't overload nature or communities.
Quality, cost-benefit and fair trade. These are the three focuses of work when designing a viability study. To this end, teams of Biodiversity Purchasing, ESG and Quality Control Specialists work together to understand whether the cooperative and/or community in question has high quality inputs and, also, what is the best remuneration model for a fair partner relationship. At this point, we can already identify opportunities for technology transfer as well as technical training.
It is the Biodiversity team that gives the go-ahead for a community and/or cooperative to join the Bio Abundance Program. With all the studies previously carried out, this team can determine whether the project will be implemented with the mapped partners or whether a new round of identification should take place. When everything is in accordance with the established parameters, the final scope of the project is born, including aspects such as:
Quality standard; Traceability; Indicators for monitoring and evaluating products and management practices; Understanding the project's scalability; Pricing; Logistics practices; Social and environmental impact; Benefits planned for the partner.
With all technical, commercial and legal aspects aligned, it is time to start the partnership, allowing our customers to have access to what was requested.
One of the most striking characteristics of Bio Abundance is its ability to create truly efficient value chains in all aspects, from productivity to sustainability. And it is precisely on the basis of a serious work platform that we have been able to offer the whole world a series of products that have indispensable attributes for our times, such as:
In addition to being a great idea, the Bio Abundance Program generates concrete results that can be measured. Among those that make us most proud, we highlight:
Today, the Bio Abundance Program has several approved species, and you can learn a little more about each of them below:
Since it was created, Bio Abundance Program has undergone different modernizations in a dynamic that seeks to embrace all sorts of diversity found in a country like Brazil. Therefore, flexibility is a keyword for our team! Today, this characteristic is what allows us to customize actions according to the specific demands of our partners. Among other factors, we are talking about a range of elements that can be adapted, such as:
THANKS TO OUR OPERATION PLATFORM, WE ARE PROUD TO SAY THAT WE MEET THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS IN FORCE IN BRAZIL REGARDING THE USE OF MATERIALS RELATED TO BIODIVERSITY. IN ADDITION, IT IS OUR ROLE TO ALERT CLIENTS TO THE NEED AND IMPORTANCE OF BEING ALIGNED WITH THE PROCEDURES OF LAW 13.123, INDICATING THE OBLIGATION TO REGISTER AND FOLLOW THE REQUIRED STEPS.
