Amazon Biodiversity Fund: Partnering for Amazon Conservation
October/November, 2024 – Representatives from sustainable businesses invested by the Amazon Biodiversity Fund (ABF) came together for the first time to share insights and experiences in Manaus (Amazonas). This gathering aimed at creating stronger connections between the businesses themselves and interactions with USAID and the Alliance of Bioversity & CIAT.
ABF is a private fund investing in projects and businesses with social and environmental impact in the Brazilian Legal Amazon. It provides venture finance for sustainable enterprises that have a transformational impact on biodiversity and communities, structured around four investment pillars: conservation, reforestation and community livelihoods; smallholder value chains; sustainable agriculture; and innovation in technology, access to financing, and services.
In the beginning of 2024, the fund concluded its fundraising process, reached R$ 250 million in total, and raised funding from two new investors: the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) and Soros Economic Development Fund (SEDF) (read more here).
ABF currently supports eight businesses in its portfolio: Amazônia Agroforestal; AgroVerde/ReforesTerra; Manioca; Inocas Amazônia; Cacau Amazônia+; Belterra Agroflorestas; Horta da Terra; and AIR+ .
“One of the highlights of the meeting was recognizing the critical role of the fund and USAID, not only as an investing partner but also as a driving force behind ABF. Seeing the positive socio-environmental impacts these ventures are generating across the Amazon is remarkable,” said Fábio Deboni, Program Director at CIAT.
Alexis Bastos, from AgroVerde, noted that the event fostered closer connections and emphasized ABF’s role as a partner to the businesses it supports. “It was inspiring to hear that the fund is committed to investing directly in those who are on the ground, working with local communities. This ensures the funds reach where they’re needed most, allowing these projects to create even greater social and environmental benefits.”
Rioterra, in collaboration with Reforest’Action, manages AgroVerde, an initiative focused on reforesting 2,000 hectares of permanent protected areas on small farms in Rondônia. “Rioterra has traditionally operated with non-repayable funds. Working with ABF introduced us to new learning opportunities, a stronger organizational structure, and the ability to engage with a range of stakeholders. This has allowed us to develop innovative management and business models to support impact investment in Amazon. Our team feels we’ve grown, and we’re excited about the opportunities ahead,” Bastos shared.
ABF was designed to help overcome the funding gap faced by companies, startups and projects in the Amazon, providing long-term impact investments to fund sustainable ventures.
“The Amazon Biodiversity Fund is advised by Impact Earth, an organization dedicated to building impact ecosystems worldwide, starting with its work in the Amazon. The recent meeting of ABF investees, hosted by Impact Earth, provided a valuable opportunity for knowledge-sharing and mutual learning. We were also pleased to welcome our longstanding partners, USAID and the Alliance of Bioversity & CIAT. We look forward to hosting these gatherings regularly, bringing more investees and investors together around the same table—next time in Belém, Pará, where Impact Earth has a local presence”, said Maria Laura Florido Investment Manager at Impact Earth.
Further meetings like this are planned to enhance connections between businesses, although dates have not yet been set.
Learn more about ABF here.