Natura has been taking care of the Amazon rainforest for decades because we realized long ago how essential it was to the survival of our planet. It’s hard to imagine how big the Amazon rainforest is. The entire Amazon river basin is actually as big as the lower 48 United States – a huge area that encompasses 2,700,000 square miles. Besides being extremely large, it represents about 60% of the planet’s remaining rainforest. The region includes territory belonging to 9 countries, but the vast majority – almost 2/3—is in Brazil. Unfortunately, the rainforest and the species that live there are at severe risk of disappearing – due to human devastation over the last decades which has destroyed 20% of the forest. It is up to each one of us to help keep the forest standing. Here are 5 reasons why it is important to protect the Amazon rainforest.  

1. Climate: It helps stabilize the Earth’s climate.

Responsible for creating 1/4 of the oxygen we breathe on planet Earth, trees in the Amazon truly deserve the nickname “the lungs of the planet." Through photosynthesis, plants remove carbon from the atmosphere and release oxygen back into the air. These trees also create the dense rainforest canopy – which is what blocks the sun and regulates the heat, creating a better environment for animals and plants below, which couldn’t survive otherwise.

2. Water: It is the source of 20% of the world’s freshwater.

The rainforest helps regulate the world's water cycle. Trees are an essential component in the water cycle, the groundwater in their roots release it back into the atmosphere through respiration. More than 50% of the water in the region is retained within the plants. Tropical forests exchange an extensive amount of water and energy with the atmosphere – a fundamental role in controlling the climate inside and outside the forest.

3. Biodiversity: It is home to almost half of the planet’s known species – from insects to trees.

Roughly, the Amazon is home to more than 5,000 vertebrate animal species, 40,000 plant species, and 100,000 invertebrates. It is estimated that there are more than 16,000 species from a total of 390 billion individual trees. That also means that much of the food we eat had origins in this region.

4. Medicine: For centuries, humans have used plants and other organisms for a variety of uses.

The Amazon is a famous destination for biologists and ecologists interested in researching and discovering new plants for their medicinal potential. It is so vast, that only 1% of it has been explored by scientists. As the rainforest slowly diminishes, the wildlife also disappears, as well as the diversity that remains unknown. It is a very likely probability that potential life-saving cures for humans are being lost to the deforestation of the Amazon and its impact on species extinctions. 

5. Culture: It is still home to at least 400 tribes of Indigenous people.

The Amazon has 30 million inhabitants, 1.6 million being indigenous communities. They have their own unique languages and cultural origins. They have lived a balanced life integrated with and taking good care of the forest for generations. The effects of deforestation on local economies can be irreversible – leading to an inability to produce food and forcing locals to move away. And what is worse, it can force them to agree to work in unhealthy conditions and even destroy the forest to make money.

Natura is proud to have helped conserve over  1.8 million acres of this precious forest through our work sourcing ingredients with local communities.  

Come respectfully closer to the Amazon forest, and feel the care that nourishes your body, hair, and skin, and discover new sensations. 

When you shop with Natura you are helping preserve one of the world’s most important resources.

Natura for over 20 years has been helping to keep the Amazon forest standing.

We use traditional knowledge of local people and the genetic heritage of bioactive ingredients. Since 2004, Natura has already signed 104 benefit-sharing contracts, generating over R$86 million (around US$18 million) for local people who participate in our value chain and contribute to maintaining the Amazon's biodiversity.

The entire journey, from harvesting the bioactive to the product at your home, is sustainable. We work in a multidisciplinary group of Natura researchers connected in a large network of forest communities, universities, NGOs, companies, start-ups, and government agencies, investigating what is of cosmetic power in the Amazon's biodiversity.

Green innovation has been part of the essence of Natura Ekos since we were born. Our formulas are sustainable, natural, vegan, and safe, made from oils and butter obtained from vegetable and renewable ingredients from Amazonian biodiversity.

Natura Ekos' whole purpose is to keep the forest standing and keep its biodiversity alive and form real bonds with the people involved in our chain.

There are many reasons to take care of the Amazon Forest, even for those who are just a remote point on the map.

Protecting the Amazon must be on the agenda of important government issues, but also for each one of us. Check out below four daily attitudes that you can adopt now.

1. Become a conscious consumer

Question how your food and other items you consume are produced. For example, was your furniture made from trees in the Amazon? No? Is the company from which you have acquired the proof of origin, with a seal or certificate?

2. Speak for the Amazon

Talk about the importance of the Amazon with your friends and family and encourage them to do the same.

3. Reduce the consumption of fossil fuels

The fewer fossil fuels used, the less impact climate change will have on the Amazon and other important natural areas. One way to do this is to use more public transportation, rideshares, or bicycles.

4. Give voice to those who live in the Amazon

Many people who live in the Amazon region witness - and are affected by - the destruction of the forest. Unfortunately, they often lack the means and support to speak out. Share stories about the Amazon deforestation on your social networks and in your circle of relationships. Be a voice for good.

Learn more about the work Natura does for the Amazon forest here.