Partnership Platform for the Amazon– PPA
The Partnership Platform for the Amazon (PPA) is an organic, rapidly growing collective action platform led by the private sector aiming to develop and identify innovative solutions for sustainable development and conservation of Brazilian Amazon's biodiversity, forests and natural resources.
The Platform is designed to leverage investments, share experiences and best practices, foster partnerships and support other private sector partners in developing innovative solutions. Over 40 national and international companies from diverse sectors are PPA members and new companies with interest in the region are welcome.
The Amazon forest represents about 60% of Brazil’s territory and 60% of the Amazon basin, which encompasses more than half of the remaining tropical forests on the planet and harbors the greatest mega biodiversity in the world. However, the region generates only 8,2% of Brazil’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), creating economic growth pressures on its natural resources.
Although significant philanthropic resources have been invested over the years to ensure Amazon conservation, the threats continue to increase. New sustainable economic development models built on legal and sustainable use of forest products and natural resources that also benefit local communities are needed to ensure long term development and conservation.
Private companies play a key role in fostering long term conservation, through sustainable development. Companies are aware of opportunities to grow and promote social change at the same time preserving Amazon resources. This inspired the creation of the Partnership Platform for the Amazon (PPA), launched in December 2017, in Manaus, capital of Amazonas State. Since then, the PPA has expanded to Pará state, more than doubling its membership and achieved impressive results, such as mobilizing more than R$6 million in blended finance co-investments.
USAID catalyzed the creation of the Platform, and now plays a facilitation and convening role across a broad array of partners. USAID is also co-investing in and co-financing priority initiatives under the PPA, matching private sector companies’ investments. As a new approach, for Brazil and for USAID, a robust learning agenda has been developed so that the lessons learned from innovative financing models and collective actions platforms can be captured and shared, to evaluate how and whether the PPA achieves its intended long-term social and biodiversity impacts. Jointly with PPA company leaders, USAID co-coordinates the platform with support from the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and several Brazilian organizations that coordinate and implement the PPA’s thematic working groups, including IDESAM, ECAM, Peabiru and Sitawi. The four thematic priorities that PPA companies have prioritized include: 1) accelerating and investing in sustainable startups and conservation businesses; 2) supporting Amazonas’ state’s bioeconomy through Research and Development investments; 3) strengthening sustainable value chains and increasing local purchasing; and 4) facilitating integrated, multi-stakeholder territorial governance models jointly with mining companies, communities, civil society and municipalities, including financing mechanisms between companies and communities; and private land conservation approaches that benefit community livelihoods.
The PPA is an innovative approach that catalyzes private sector engagement under USAID/Brazil’s Partnership for Conservation of Amazon Biodiversity (PCAB), supporting the PCAB by advancing private sector leadership and investments in Amazon biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. The PPA’s long-term success rests on the commitment of its private sector leaders and partners. USAID envisioned the PPA based on its experience and lessons learned with the USAID Brazil-initiated Mais Unidos partnership.
Read more about the PPA (in Portuguese)
Read more about USAID´s work with the private sector
