Sofidel Partners With Suzano To Protect The Amazon

Suzano, a producer of hardwood pulp, and Sofidel, a tissue paper producer, have announced, “Together we plant the future – Developing biodiversity corridors towards a more sustainable future,” which is a three-year pilot project to advance ecological conservation and restoration, alongside supporting socio-economic development in the Amazon region in Brazil. This will be delivered with support and on-the-ground implementation from IABS, the Brazilian Institute for Development and Sustainability, and Amazônia Onlus, an Italian non-profit active to defend the forest and the people of the Amazon.

Through the partnership, Sofidel’s investment will scale up sustainable business models that can be adopted by communities living alongside the rainforest, and at the same time improving their food security and nutritional quality.

“In the first phase, this will help lift about 1,400 family farmers out of poverty through income-generation projects, including increasing agricultural productivity, beekeeping, and the cultivation and commercialization of native species such as açaí berries and babassu coconuts,” according to a press release.

“Together we plant the future” will also fund the creation of an important biodiversity corridor to promote connectivity within a 2,210-square-kms area of high ecological value rainforest, straddling the border between the Brazilian states of Maranhão and Pará. This will be achieved through a combination of natural habitat restoration and sustainable agroforestry systems, contributing to Suzano’s long-term goal to create biodiversity corridors that connect half a million hectares (5,000 square kilometers) of priority areas in Brazil’s Amazon, Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes by 2030. The biodiversity corridor will benefit a range of native species in the region that are impacted by the fragmentation of habitats.

“Today, a company committed to build a sustainable future and create value for all its stakeholders has to ensure that its suppliers share the same vision and way of operating. According to SDG 17, we are pleased to partner with Suzano, one of our biggest suppliers, to make a difference. They share our same values, so it came natural to make our contribution to join forces to tackle both social and environmental issues in one of the poorest regions in Brazil,” Sofidel Chief Purchasing Officer Andrea Piazzolla said. “With decades of experience delivering positive change, we believe Suzano is the right partner for us to work alongside on this pilot program to bring concrete benefits and a positive impact on the ground. We hope our efforts will create a replicable and scalable model to help lift communities out of poverty in a way that enhances the ecosystem.”

For more information, visit www.sofidel.com.