Fundo Vale
O Fundo Vale

Our History

Sowing futures for 15 years

Cultivating a more sustainable, fairer and more inclusive economy through partnerships with businesses and projects that generate a positive social and environmental impact.

In 2009, Fundo Vale was created to foster initiatives that protect and restore ecosystems, help mitigate the climate crisis and promote economic development together with social inclusion. Since then, we have financed and strengthened innovative financial arrangements to support actions aimed at having a positive social and environmental impact on Brazilian biomes.

Over the last 15 years, we have invested a total of R$360 million, supported 340 social and environmental impact initiatives and helped restore around 14,000 hectares of habitat through sustainable systems, in collaboration with more than 40 organizations.

In this space, we invite you to explore our history, learn about our milestones and understand how we are sowing a more resilient and fairer future for life on the planet.

“We are cultivating a sustainable, fair and inclusive economy”

Márcia Soares

Amazon and partnerships manager, Fundo Vale

“Our agroforestry system is based on diversified crops grown in the gardens of riverside communities – a solution that was right in front of us.”

Ernesto Katsunori

Rural producer (Forest Goal partner)

“It’s very hard to innovate alone. We need to build coalitions.”

Marcos Gorini

Co-founder and CEO of Din4mo (a Fundo Vale partner specializing in impact investing)

“If we fail to conserve the Amazon, we face not only an environmental crisis but also profound social consequences. We do use crop irrigation but instead use rainfall. Rain needs a stable climate, which is provided by the forest.”

Beto Veríssimo

Co-founder of Imazon (strategic partner)

“Fundo Vale has a crucial role to play in creating a forest restoration business ecosystem in Brazil.”

Valmir Ortega

Founder of Belterra and Conexsus

“Brazil itself was born from a bioeconomic cycle.”

Marcos Da-Ré

Director of the Green Economy Center at the CERTI Foundation (strategic partner)

“The bioeconomy’s impact businesses show that you can generate development, jobs and income without needing to destroy the forest. On the contrary, you can be a partner of the forest and the people who live in it.”

Joanna Martins

Director of operations of Manioca (strategic partner)

Strategic pillars

Amazon and Bioeconomy

We support actions that seek to strengthen and boost the social and environmental impact ecosystem in the Amazon and social and biological diversity production chains, as well as leveraging systemic agendas for the region, through co-financing and collaboration with organizations working on the same issues.

Vale’s 2030 Forest Goal

We are responsible for defining and implementing strategies to achieve our sponsor’s voluntary commitment to protect and restore 500,000 hectares of land outside its sites.

Blended Finance

We encourage the creation and implementation of disruptive and hybrid financial mechanisms aimed at innovative solutions that can unlock market capital to foster businesses and initiatives that have a positive social and environmental impact on the forest and climate agenda.

Timeline

Launch of Vale’s Sustainability Policy
Creation of Fundo Vale

Projects begun

Support for Forest Resources of Terra do Meio Extractive Reserve and Conservation of Calha Norte Region (Imaflora)
Terra do Meio (ISA)

Start of operations and first projects are implemented as part of three work programs: Green Municipalities, Protected Areas and Biodiversity, and Strategic Monitoring
Fundo Vale launch event

Projects begun

Viva Marajó (Peabiru Institute)

Creation of Green Municipalities of Pará Program
Brazilian Environmental Benchmarking Awards (BenchMais)
2011 Brazilian Environmental Action Awards (Jornal do Brasil and Firjan)

Projects begun

Florestabilidade (FRM)
Forest Certification in Terra do Meio (Imaflora)
Strategic Support for Calha Norte Region of Pará (Imazon)
Xingu Social Diversity Corridor (ISA)
Seeking Sustainability of Protected Areas and Biosphere Reserves (UNESCO)
Cattle Ranching (Amigos da Terra)
Cotriguaçu Forever Green (ICV)
Sowing Sustainability in Apuí (Idesam)
Xingu Sustainable Environment – XAS II (IEB)
Sustainable Local Development in Southern Amazonas (IEB)
Sustainable Almeirim II (IFT)
Forests of Value (Imaflora)
Economic Fundamentals for More Sustainable Cattle Ranching in Pará (Imazon)
Green Cattle Ranching (SPRP)

Creation of New Field Program (ICV)
8th Brazilian Environmental Awards (Amcham Rio)
Green Project Awards Brazil (Green Savers)

Projects begun

Sustainability Agenda for Suruí People (Ecam)
Amazon Eco-Clusters XXI (IPÊ)
Consolidation of Terra do Meio Conservation Areas (AS)
Consolidation of Collaborative Agenda to Strengthen Coordination in Amazon (ARA/ICV)
Ecosystem Service Incentive Matrix (Forest Trends)
Strengthening of Decision Making for Sustainable Management of Forests and Localities (Avina Foundation / Faro Group)
Integrated Low-Carbon Cattle Ranching (ICV)
Coffee in Agroforestry (Idesam)
Strengthening of Forest Governance Along BR-163 Highway (IEB)

10th meeting of Xingu Seeds Network (ISA)
50th anniversary of Xingu Indigenous People’s Park (ISA)
Ozires Silva Sustainable Enterprise Awards (ISAE/FGV)
Von Martius Sustainability Awards (Brazil-Germany Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
Brazilian Forest Agenda Workshops

Projects begun

Economic Alternatives for the Amazon (Ecam)
Economic Alternatives for the Amazon (Forest Trends)
People for Conservation and Conservation for People (FVA)
Amapá Community Protocol (OELA)
Active Forests (Health and Happiness)
Contributions to Brazilian Sustainability Agenda (UNESCO)
Sowing Sustainability in Apuí II (Idesam)
Strengthening of Regional Management in Marajó (IEB)

Installation of nut processing plant in Negro River Basin (FVA)
Launch of Bailique Community Protocol (OELA/GTA)
Top 10 Conservation Funders in Amazon (Moore Foundation study)
Von Martius Sustainability Awards (Brazil-Germany Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
10th Brazilian Environmental Awards (Amcham Rio)

Projects begun

Economic Alternatives for the Amazon (Forest Trends/Ecam)
Regional Planning in Southern Amazonas (IEB)
Community and Family Forest Management in Public Forests of the Amazon (IFT)
Strengthening of Sustainable Production Chains and Markets in Xingu Corridor (Imaflora)
Paths to Integrated Management of Conservation Areas (ISA)
Intercultural Dialogue and Regional Management in Xingu (ISA)
Support for Sustainable Production Chains on Brazilian Amazon Coast (UNESCO)
Northwest Mato Grosso (ICV)
Institutional Strengthening in Amapá (IEB)
Xingu Sustainable Environment – XAS III (IEB)

Creation of Mato Grosso Sustainable Municipalities Program
Creation of Amazon Sustainable Cattle Ranching Program (PECSA)
Strengthening of Xingu Canteens (ISA)
Forest Use Authorization in Ituxi Extractive Reserve, Amazonas (IFT)
Fundo Vale head office move from Rio de Janeiro to Belo Horizonte

Projects begun

Support for Sustainable Production Chains on Brazilian Amazon Coast (CSF)
Strengthening of Social and Environmental Governance in Pará and Amapá (IEB)
Amazon Coordination in Context of Climate Crisis (ARA/ICV)
Strengthening of Social and Environmental Management in Rondônia (Ecam)

Opening of Active Forest Experimental Center in Tapajós-Arapiuns Extractive Reserve (Health and Happiness)
Launch of Brazilian Origins Certification (Imaflora/ISA)
Sustainable Business Workshops in Amazon, Brasília and São Paulo

Projects begun

Strengthening of Traditional Peoples and Communities in Social and Biological Diversity Production Chains (Ecam)
Building Alternative Community Enterprise Management Models for Sustainability of Amazon Social and Biological Diversity Products (FVA)
Sustainable Family Production in Mato Grosso Amazon (ICV)
Agroforestry Production Chains in Southern Amazonas (Idesam)
More Value Project: Sustainable Economies in Southern Amazonas (IEB)
Strengthening of Value Chains in Amazon (IEB)
Community Forests (IFT)
Forests of Value – New Business Models for the Amazon (Imaflora)
Social and Biological Diversity in Xingu (ISA)
Strengthening of Bailique Community Protocol (OELA/GTA)
Active Forest Center to Support Social and Biological Diversity Production Chains (Health and Happiness)

Fundo Vale joins FIIMP
Fundo Vale ranked among top 10 Amazon conservation funders (Moore Foundation study)

Projects begun

Impact Foundations and Institutes (FIIMP/Sitawi)

First call for proposals for Partners for the Amazon Platform Acceleration Program (Idesam)
Launch of Conexsus Challenge

Projects begun

Good Businesses for the Climate Platform (Aoka)
Conexsus Challenge (Conexsus)

Start of work on Vale’s forest commitment – Native R&D
Fundo Vale joins ANDE
Launch of Amazon Lab – Logistics and Marketing (Climate Ventures)

Projects begun

FIIMP 2 – Impact Foundations and Institutes (Phi Institute)
Impact Investing and Business Forum, Belo Horizonte and Mozambique (Baanko)
Partners for the Amazon Platform / Bioeconomy Acceleration Program (Idesam)
Amazon Social and Biological Diversity Product Logistics and Marketing Lab (Climate Ventures)

Fundo Vale’s 2030 Theory of Change
Launch of Agroforestry Challenge
COVID-19 Emergency Response Plan (Conexsus)
Creation of Latimpacto
Startup of Belterra
Support for Impact Investing and Business Alliance (ICE)
Converge Capital Conference

Projects begun

COVID Social and Environmental Response Plan (Conexsus)
Emergency Credit Line (Fundo CX)
Café Apuí (Amazônia Agroflorestal)
Global Panorama of Impact Investments and Businesses in Latin America (ANDE)
Strengthening of Impact Ecosystem (ICE)
Amazon Deforestation Risk Platform with Artificial Intelligence (Imazon)
Latimpacto: Latin American Venture Philanthropy Network (Phi Institute)
Agroforestry Challenge (Troposlab)
Amazon Impact Accelerator (AMAZ) – bridge project (Idesam)

How we work

Strengthening innovative finance

Our capital is catalytic, patient and flexible. We work to ensure that more resources are channeled to and accessed by impact initiatives and businesses on the forest and climate agenda. We aim for these impact businesses to achieve autonomy and scale. In this way, we help create a virtuous cycle.

Joining forces

We believe that transformation must be collective, fair and inclusive. Our work involves forming and joining strategic partnerships with civil society organizations, companies, startups, traditional communities, academic and scientific institutions, public entities, investors, and bilateral and international cooperation organizations, among other stakeholders. In this diverse ecosystem of players, we help connect innovative ideas, businesses and investments, promoting a more resilient economy.

Protecting and restoring

Committed to mitigating the climate crisis and to our sponsor’s goal of protecting and restoring 500,000 hectares by 2030, we have developed strategies to promote agroforestry businesses and support ventures aimed at large-scale productive habitat regeneration. These initiatives revitalize ecosystems while generating economic benefits for local communities.

Boosting the bioeconomy

We believe that the path to a sustainable future lies in sustainable production systems, promoting the bioeconomy, enhancing sustainable production chains and continuous innovation. We are committed to transformative, long-lasting, inclusive and fair results that generate a positive impact for people and the planet.

Sowing futures

Our work is guided by the purpose of cultivating a legacy that gives new meaning to the economy, transforms communities and builds a world where development and sustainability truly go hand in hand.