Vale sponsored the latest edition of the Sustainable Amazon Forum, held in Alter do Chão, Pará, from July 6 to 8. Fundo Vale’s partnerships leader, Márcia Soares, took part in the event, which brought together representatives of civil society organizations, the private sector, indigenous peoples, riverside dwellers, quilombos [settlements composed of descendants of runaway slaves] and rural workers, to look for responses to constant threats to the integrity of the Amazon biome and its peoples.

Fundo Vale is focused on the Amazon region and particularly its bioeconomy, which was one of the subjects discussed at the meeting. “Staying up to date with trends and discussions in the sector, making connections to establish partnerships and getting to know actors who are in the field working for local sustainability are all part of Fundo Vale’s way of doing business and operating principles,” Soares says.

The forum had three areas of focus: protection and security for the Amazon region’s forests, localities, peoples and communities; strengthening of the socio-bioeconomy and maintenance of forests; and building a common position in the 2022 elections. 

According to Soares, the main lessons learned at the event came from several presentations about the Amazon biome’s present vulnerable situation. She also highlights the presence of leaders, especially of indigenous peoples. “Despite this critical moment, everyone believes in the bioeconomy’s potential as a strategic option for forest conservation, and people also realize the need to strengthen spaces for sharing and collaboration,” she says.

The latest edition of the forum provided a legitimate space for dialogue, at this critical time for the conservation of this biome, whose deforestation rate has recently increased to critical levels.

“Vale was part of this forum when it was most active and it is now supporting its resumption,” she says. “The company believes that dialogue with different stakeholders is a fundamental part of collaborative construction around common causes on the sustainability agenda.”