We believe life is a chain of relationships and that everything is interdependent. Caring about our relationships is a key priority to us.

The Amazon Rainforest is home to over 100,000 species of animals and 30,000 vegetables. But in addition to environmental heritage, the biome has people, many people (more than the population of the city of São Paulo). For these and other reasons, protecting the Amazon and its people are very important commitments for us.

Operating in the region in a sustainable manner is a business decision. To do so, we use Benefit Sharing, a legal mechanism from Brazil's environmental ministry that institutes the sharing of benefits from the economic exploitation of finished products or reproductive materials made from the access to genetic heritage or associated traditional knowledge.

The Sharing Benefit mechanism ensures a fair relationship between companies that work with Brazilian biodiversity - like us - with the people who live in the forest and with the local genetic heritage. Initiatives stemming from it revolve around environmental conservation, supporting the sustainable growth of cooperatives and strengthening socio-biodiversity networks.

Local Amazonian communities

Natura works directly with over 30 different communities - including more than 7,039 families - in the Amazon to source the biodiversity ingredients that make our products so special. To date we have helped conserve 2M hectares of forest. Our ethical partnership with the traditional Amazonian communities began in 1999, when we launched the Ekos Line, and is one of the most important aspects of Natura’s business model. This connection values the knowledge of the people of the forest, and enables sustainable practices that help preserve the whole ecosystem. When you choose a Natura product, you are directly supporting these families and collaborating to keep the forest standing.

Get to know some of the initiatives made possible thanks to the support of customers that care:

Association of Organic Producers of Boa Vista (Apobv)

In communities that work with seed extraction such as castanha (Brazil nuts), ucuuba and andiroba, we work to improve the sourcing process in a sustainable manner. We support actions to improve micro-plants, which turn seeds into oil, making products with higher added value.

Through support to the Association of Organic Producers of Boa Vista (Apobv), in Pará, the community invested in the irrigation system for the production of pataqueira and priprioca, plant assets used in our perfumery. With this action, traditional knowledge is valued, reflecting in increased income.

Still at Apobv, Sharing Benefit resources helped build the cooperative's new headquarters in 2011, a shed to store the production, and a new bus for commuting.

Joint Agricultural Cooperative of Tomé-Açu (CAMTA)

With the Joint Agricultural Cooperative of Tomé-Açu (CAMTA), in Pará, which sells andiroba and açaí, the benefit sharing resources was applied in the reform of the storage warehouse. The investment resulted in increased production via less waste and better quality, helping the community meet the requirements and gain access to new markets.

Cooperative of Iratapuru River Co-Producers and Extractors (Comaru)

The Cooperative of Iratapuru River Co-Producers and Extractors (Comaru) also has among its initiatives the training of community members through the granting of scholarships. Education improves the education of people linked to the productive chains and management of the organization.

The creation of a benefit fund for all community members directly assisted in the development of cooperative and community project management. Thus, we also strengthened the community and extractive base, which favors the standing forest economy.

We also helped the cooperative implement radio communication for the community. This simple action was key to strengthen the community, which supplies us chestnut oil. With a better infrastructure, the cooperative was able to speed up its operation, and generate more income and quality of life.

Middle Juruá

In the Middle Juruá region, which provides us with andiroba oil and murumuru and ucuuba butter, resources from the Benefit Sharing help local organizations protect biodiversity. The conservation of turtles - turtles, tortoises and jabutis - requires the vigilance of eggs in order to prevent the illegal exploitation and trade of animals. Since 2017, more than 3,000 nests have been preserved.

The same resources also help local entities to work with the management of pirarucu (crappie), thus acting in favor of the conservation of Amazonian biodiversity and income generation. The goal is to encourage sustainable fishing and river monitoring. Fishing at the right time conserves the species, which is essential to feed and generate household income.

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