May 23, 2023
(press release)
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Partnership will boost socio-economic development in the territory, in addition to contributing to the formation of an ecological corridor in an area of Atlantic Forest covering 2,210 square kilometers Suzano, a global reference in the manufacture of bioproducts developed from the cultivation of eucalyptus, and Sofidel, a leader in the production of tissue paper, today announce the project “Together, we plant the future – Developing biodiversity corridors for a more sustainable future ”. It is a three-year pilot project that will promote conservation and ecological restoration, supporting socioeconomic development in the Amazon region of Brazil [1] . The initiative will be supported and implemented locally by IABS (Brazilian Institute for Development and Sustainability) and Amazônia Onlus, an Italian non-profit organization that fights to defend the forest and the population of the Amazon. Through the partnership, Sofidel's investment will expand sustainable business models that can be adopted by communities living in the Amazon region, while at the same time improving food security and nutritional quality. In the first phase, the initiative will help lift 1,400 families out of poverty through income-generating projects, including increased agricultural productivity, beekeeping and the cultivation and sale of native species, such as açaí and babassu. “Today, a company committed to building a sustainable future and creating value for all stakeholders needs to ensure that its suppliers share the same vision and way of operating. In compliance with SDG 17, we are pleased to partner with Suzano, one of our largest suppliers, to make a difference. They share the same values as ours, so it was natural to make our contribution by joining forces to tackle social and environmental issues in one of the poorest regions of Brazil”, says Andrea Piazzolla, Executive Director of Supplies at Sofidel. “With decades of experience delivering positive change, we believe Suzano is the right partner for us to work together on this pilot program to bring concrete benefits and a positive impact on the world. We hope that our efforts create a replicable and scalable model to help lift communities out of poverty in a way that improves the ecosystem.” At the same time, the project “Together, we plant the future” will contribute to the formation of an important biodiversity corridor to promote connectivity within an area of 2,210 square kilometers in the Amazon Biome region of high ecological value, which extends between the states of Maranhão and Pará. This will be possible through the restoration of natural habitat combined with sustainable agroforestry systems, contributing to Suzano's long-term goal of creating biodiversity corridors that connect half a million hectares (5 thousand square kilometers) - an area equivalent to more than 700 thousand soccer fields –, from priority areas in the Amazon, Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes in Brazil by 2030. “Companies can change the world for the better, but they cannot do it alone. If we work together, we can amplify our impact. That's why we're excited to partner with one of our biggest clients, Sofidel, to accelerate the promising early impact we've seen in our social and environmental sustainability programs," says Paulo Jose de Souza Chaer Borges, Functional Director EMEA from Suzano. “By financially empowering communities living in areas of high ecological value, we can address poverty as the main cause of deforestation, while encouraging them to protect and restore ecosystems. We hope this collaboration proves the power of working together across the supply chain to create positive change,” emphasizes Paulo. The biodiversity corridor will benefit several native species in the region impacted by habitat fragmentation, such as the jaguar ( Panthera onca ), the red-necked macaw ( Pteroglossus bitorquatus ), the black-billed toucan ( Ramphastos vitellinus ), the lowland tapir ( Tapirus terrestris ), the marmoset ( Saguinus ursulus ), the red-handed howler monkey ( Alouatta belzebul ) and the black saki ( Chiropotes satanas ), many of which are currently considered threatened or vulnerable to extinction. The region between the states of Maranhão and Pará was selected because some of Suzano's operations are located in this area.
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