With actions based on the economy of the forest and the protagonism of local organizations, the Sitawi has been building a diversified operation for the preservation of the most important biome on the planet.
Last September 5th, Amazon Day was celebrated. In this framework, different sectors of society bring to light the reflection on the challenges of preserving the largest tropical forest in the world, in the face of the advance of deforestation and its serious consequences for the ecosystem. Connected to the urgency of these challenges, the Sitawi seeks to develop and support initiatives with the power to transform and generate impact in the Amazon, aimed at developing the territory and conserving socio-biodiversity.
Territorial Programs: collective construction for local development and forest conservation
O Middle Juruá Territory Program (PTMJ), created in 2017, aims to conserve biodiversity and improve the quality of life of riverside and indigenous populations in the Middle Juruá, a region of high ecological and social importance in the state of Amazonas. A Sitawi is at the forefront of coordinating the initiative, which operates through the implementation of a territorial development plan drawn up jointly with the Medium Juruá Territory Forum. The organization has the participation of companies, environmental protection agencies and associations of riverside communities – holders of traditional knowledge and guardians of the standing forest.
In this way, PTMJ developed an innovative management model, where governance and articulation between multiple actors contribute to the expansion of initiatives for the sustainable use of natural resources and increase the resilience of local communities. Thus, the Program encompasses projects in different axes: from pirarucu management and production in an agroforestry system, education, access to energy to the improvement of communication systems.
In 2020, at the end of its third year of implementation, the Middle Juruá Territory Program totaled R1TP4Q16.8 million mobilized, the conservation of more than 919 thousand hectares and more than 2.5 thousand people with socioeconomic improvements.
Learn more about the Middle Juruá Territory Program. Access the PTMJ Report 2017-2021 and the study “Amazon in the 21st Century: Natural Capital, Sustainable Development and Social Justice”
Collective Loan Platform: innovation for the expansion of Impact Investing
Another initiative by Sitawi to mobilize capital for the positive impact in the Amazon is the Collective Loan Platform. Created in 2019, the platform aims to democratize impact investing and, at the same time, support entrepreneurs who work to create a more equitable world, valuing the forest economy and generating income for their communities.
Operating through the model of peer-to-peer lending, in which a person lends money directly to another person or company in a digital way, the Platform allows individual investors to invest in a way that is aligned with their values. This facility makes it possible to finance a wide range of impact businesses at below-market interest rates.
Through Impact Investment Rounds we have already supported 11 businesses in the Amazon with environmental and social impact that demonstrated difficulty in accessing capital to develop their activities. They are part of a socio-environmental entrepreneurship network that is already a reality in the region, and which seeks new investments to consolidate its operations. Selected through a process of due diligence and impact measurement carried out by Sitawi, entrepreneurs also receive technical support and consultancy for business management throughout the loan period. understand how it works here.
Do you want to invest in businesses with a positive socio-environmental impact? Go to Collective Loan Platform and learn how!
Management of Philanthropic Funds: efficient solutions for collaborative philanthropic initiatives
through the Philanthropic Funds, a Sitawi uses its expertise in financial management to enable and leverage socio-environmental initiatives, being able to combine resources from different donors: individuals or companies, national or international. One of the main characteristics of this model is the flexible use of resources, which to the strategy of each initiative: each fund has targeted social or environmental impact objectives and these are agreed between the founder and the Sitawi.
With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, these mechanisms proved to be an efficient solution to make resources quickly reach the end, supporting fund setters with effective and transparent management. In the Amazon, joint action with important local actors was essential to leverage philanthropic actions focused on health, food security, as well as the defense of the Amazon and its population.
An example of this is the background PPA Solidarity: Response to COVID-19 in the Amazon, which reached more than 1.5 million people in educational campaigns against the contagion of the coronavirus, distributed more than 20,000 basic food baskets and hygiene kits to the population, in addition to 1.2 million masks. Furthermore, to boost the local economy, 21 sustainable businesses received over R1TP4Q1.5 million in low interest loans. The initiative is a partnership between the Partners for the Amazon Platform (PPA), USAID, NPI Expand a NPI Expand, Palladium and Sitawi, and sought to serve the territory of the Brazilian Legal Amazon, especially the states of Amazonas and Pará.
Do you want to direct financial resources to social and environmental causes in a flexible, efficient and transparent way? Contact
