The Rural Producers Association of Carauari (ASPROC) ranked second among the 15 global initiatives selected as innovative in the Trillion Trees: Forest Communities and Value Chains Challenge by UpLink, the open innovation platform of the World Economic Forum. With the proposal titled ‘Sustainable Management of Amazonian Pirarucu,’ ASPROC described the social, economic, and environmental impacts of sustainable pirarucu management and the collective commercial arrangement ‘Taste of the Amazon – flavor that preserves the forest.’
As explained by Ecivaldo Dias, president of Asproc, this worldwide recognition demonstrates
how relevant the communities’ work is for the Amazon as a whole.
“We are pleased that all the managers are showing themselves as important contributors to the preservation of the environment of the forest. Our entire organization as a group makes a difference, and having that recognized is very gratifying,” emphasized Ecivaldo.”PHOTO
The Rural Producers Association of Carauari (ASPROC) operates in the prospecting and execution of socio-economic projects that bring improvements in the quality of life for traditional populations and ensure the sustainable management of the territory.
The Trillion Trees Award received by ASPROC is an international recognition of the extraordinary achievements of this organization over the past thirty years in environmental conservation and the promotion of improved quality of life for traditional communities in the Amazon. This recognition brings us great joy and undoubtedly reinforces the commitment of all involved to further strengthen this historic struggle,” emphasized Adevaldo Dias, president of the Chico Mendes Memorial.
The World Economic Forum is an international organization aiming to facilitate global public-private cooperation. Annually, the Forum’s participants, consisting of prominent business leaders, political figures, and influential personalities, gather in Davos, Switzerland, to discuss issues relevant to the world’s socio-economic development.
The selection criteria were: Environmental impact, Socio-economic impact, Innovation potential, Governance and operational model, Geographic scope, Business model, Stage, and Management team. ASPROC’s initiative aligned with the three focal areas of the challenge:
- Empowerment of forest communities;
- Sustainable management of NTFPs (Non-Timber Forest Products);
- Strengthening the value chain of NTFPs.
It is commendable as it is an international competition, where the World Forum seeks to support innovative ideas from local communities working with value chains and their eco-businesses. So, I think the fact that it has been one of the winners shows the value and importance of this arrangement as a whole,” acknowledged Leonardo Kurihara, from the Amazon Native Operation (Opan), one of Asproc’s partner institutions.
Furthermore, ASPROC shared with the World Economic Forum that its initiative aligns with 5 SDGs: Goal 2: Zero Hunger and Sustainable Agriculture; Goal 5: Gender Equality; Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production; Goal 13: Climate Action; and Goal 15: Life on Land.
Sustainable Management
Sustainable management of wild pirarucu is one of the most promising initiatives in the Amazon, involving various stages to ensure territorial protection, biodiversity conservation, and income generation for riverside families. The ‘Taste of the Amazon’ brand is the responsible arm ensuring the fair trade of managed pirarucu without intermediaries and income generation.
Through pirarucu management, we contribute to environmental conservation while preventing illegal activities that have harmful impacts on nature. Co-management of natural resources with the protagonism of traditional peoples and communities has produced extremely relevant results worldwide, as they live, coexist, and work in the forest environment, making them the primary guardians of fauna and flora. Pirarucu management is also a solution of traditional and scientific origin that provided an alternative to the scarcity of pirarucu due to overfishing of the species in the 1960s to 1980s.
This achievement will enable ASPROC and ‘Taste of the Amazon’ to become part of the UpLink Innovation Network, a curated program designed for Founders, CEOs, or Executive Directors. This provides an opportunity to participate in the World Economic Forum; showcase their business on the Forum and UpLink networks; connect with other organizations that are part of the Forum and UpLink; and receive technical, commercial, and operational support to boost their business.
This is another opportunity to showcase what ASPROC does to the world and participate in these spaces for the exchange of knowledge and experiences with other organizations involved in socio-bioeconomics and major global investors and leaders.
The challenge is led by 1t.org and supported by the Amazon Investor Coalition, Barka Fund, Earthday.org, Food and Agriculture Organization Inter-American Development Bank, Reforestamos, SOS Sahel, and The Balipara Foundation.