FOREST PROTECTION IN PORTEL, BRAZIL

THE AMAZON RAINFOREST IS THE PLANET’S GREEN LUNG: IT STORES HUGE AMOUNTS OF CARBON AND STABILISES THE GLOBAL CLIMATE. IT IS HOME TO ABOUT 10 % OF ALL THE EARTH’S SPECIES –WHICH NEED URGENT PROTECTION.

With a branch office in São Bernardo do Campo in Brazil and a production site in Paraguay, we feel a particularly strong connection to South America. The forest conservation project in Portel therefore holds a special place in our hearts. The idea is to provide a reliable regular income for the Ribeirinhos, one of the poorest populations in the Amazon, and sustainably protect the rainforest. If its deforestation continues, millions of tonnes of CO2 will be incessantly released – with grave consequences for the Earth. By giving the Ribeirinhos the official land rights, agricultural companies can no longer occupy the area. This rescues about 3,000 hectares of rainforest from destruction by agricultural companies every year and enables them to be managed in a resource-conserving manner.