HOW AND WHY TO "BUY AMAZONIAN?" (PLENARY)
December 1st, 2022 at 2:00pm ET
Amazon ecosystem stewardship can also be profitable. Corporate leaders offer case studies and success stories for investors and commercial buyers of forest-friendly consumer products: What did your company do to “Buy Amazonian”? Why did you do it? What result did it have on your business?
Livia Froes
Lush
Founded in 1995 in the UK, Lush has grown to be one of the world’s largest cosmetics companies with over 900 stores globally. Years ago, the company mapped the supply chains of their raw and processed materials to identify ‘sourcing hotspots.’ When layering the data over maps of biodiversity, carbon, and migration, the company understood that its sourcing communities coincided with the regions of the planet most in need of conservation. Since then, as a buying strategy, the company created ‘sourcing hubs’ in key locations, setting up demonstration farms, forming trade relationships directly with communities, and supporting local processing infrastructure development. As intended, the process created new economic livelihoods as alternatives to poaching and forest degradation, while supporting the transition from conventional agriculture to agroecology.
Robin Van Loon
Comida Verde / Rosewood Oil
Founder and Executive Director of Camino Verde, Robin has lived in the Tambopata province of the Peruvian Amazon since 2004. A long-time student of traditional and indigenous agriculture and medicinal practices, his work has focused on developing community-based reforestation strategies to regenerate important endangered plants of the Amazon. He is a writer, regenerative designer, and consultant in agroforestry, reforestation, and regenerative development.
Philippa Lockwood
Clif Bar
Philippa Lockwood serves as the Social Responsibility Program Manager for Clif Bar & Company. She has over a decade of experience with social development and community engagement initiatives, working for non-profit, for-profit, and government organizations in Africa, Asia, and the United States. Prior to her current role she lived in Brazil and worked with the Amazon Investor Coalition. Previously, she served as a Program Manager with the non-profit foundation of Traditional Medicinals, a B-Corporation, re-investing a portion of profits in strategic social projects within the supply chain spanning some 60 countries. Philippa lives in San Francisco with her husband Vitor and speaks English and Portuguese.
Andrew Vrbas / Andrew Thorton
Pacha Soap / Silvan.eco
Pacha Soap Co. is a purpose-driven company that handcrafts natural, artisanal products. The company mission is to challenge the standards of what it means to be an ethical business by taking radical steps to empower communities around the world with long term, sustainable solutions. “Made good so you can feel good and do good”.
Matt Cohen
SIMPLi
Founded in 2020, SIMPLi co-founders Sarela Herrada and Matt Cohen sought out to bring the best single-origin ingredients from around the world to consumers kitchens in a way that equally benefits farmers, the environment, and consumers. Matt was born and raised in Annapolis, MD. He quickly developed a passion as an entrepreneur, having multiple small businesses growing up as a child. Entrepreneurship was further instilled in him while helping his family businesses, from connecting small farmers on the eastern shore with regional grocery chains, to helping run pawn shops throughout the DMV. He is passionate about disrupting antiquated industries through technology and driving long-term impacts to build a more equitable future. SIMPLi is on a mission to make the world better through food by developing ethical and sustainable international supply chains. SIMPLi focuses on first-hand social and environmental impacts through direct farming relationships to eliminate supply chain inequalities and providing single-origin ingredients of integrity to our clients and consumers.
Fernanda Stefani
100% Amazonia
A seasoned economist and trader, Fernanda was 2020 EY Entrepreneur of the Year for Social and Environmental Impact and Exame Magazine’s 50 Brazilians for the Climate. She studied at the School of Economics, Business and Accounting, University of São Paulo, and holds a Masters from Vienna University of Economics and Business. She speaks five languages fluently, is a Board member of B Lab Brazil and the Aliança da Restauração da Amazônia.
