By participating in, supporting and sponsoring events, Fundo Vale seeks to contribute to building a collaborative agenda for positive social and environmental impact.
In addition to mobilizing financial resources for social and environmental impact initiatives, Fundo Vale stood out in 2024 for its active participation in national, regional and international multisectoral debates and dialogues on key issues for sustainable development. We were present at around 100 events, sharing our experience, learning from experts and strengthening strategic partnerships to drive innovative solutions to promote the bioeconomy, environmental recovery, and social and environmental justice.
By participating in, supporting and sponsoring events, Fundo Vale seeks to contribute to building an agenda for positive transformation, bringing together companies, governments, civil society organizations, academia, investors and communities. Its commitment to promoting innovative and sustainable solutions is reflected in its ongoing work to strengthen the social and environmental impact ecosystem, encouraging collaboration between different sectors and driving effective action toward a fair, inclusive and sustainable economy.
Take a look back at some of the important events that took place in 2024 with the presence of Fundo Vale.
FEBRUARY
Connecting impact businesses and investors
In partnership with the Amazon Conservation and Sustainable Development Institute (Idesam), Fundo Vale held an event called “Impact Businesses and Investments in the New Bioeconomy in the Amazon“ at Cubo Itaú, an entrepreneurship hub in São Paulo, to promote the bioeconomy in the world’s biggest biome. The Priority Bioeconomy Program, innovative initiatives such as OKA Biotecnologia and opportunities for investment in research and development were presented. The event connected startups, companies and investors interested in profitable and sustainable solutions for the Amazon.
Appraisal meeting
Café Apuí Agroflorestal, a business supported by Idesam in collaboration with Fundo Vale, brought together partners to present progress made in 2023 and plans for 2024. The business combines agroforestry coffee production with environmental conservation and socioeconomic development in the Amazon. Since 2012, Fundo Vale has helped transform the project into a social and environmental impact business.
MARCH
Impact businesses on agenda at Ministry for Science, Technology and Innovation
Fundo Vale participated in a conference called “Science, Technology & Innovation for the Impact Economy,” organized by the Brazilian Ministry for Science, Technology and Innovation, to present its development strategy based on its 2030 Theory of Change. Juliana Saliba, sustainability analyst at Fundo Vale, took part in a panel discussion about the impact agenda, alongside experts from Finep, Confap, Caixa, BID Lab and BNDES.
South Summit
In March, Fundo Vale’s executive director, Patrícia Daros, attended South Summit Brazil 2024, held in Porto Alegre. During the event, she spoke about the organization’s experience in supporting social and environmental impact businesses in the Amazon and other Brazilian biomes, highlighting its commitment to nature-based solutions and Vale’s 2030 Forest Goal.
Cubo Impact event
Fundo Vale and Ago Social launched the Cubo Itaú Impact Journey, an initiative aimed at fostering social and environmental impact businesses, during the “Cubo Impact” event, held at Cubo Itaú in São Paulo. Thirty slots were offered to startups to take part in a program featuring training, mentoring and a closing event, the “Cubo Impact Summit,” which awarded prizes to the three startups whose impact had grown the most. The launch brought together more than 50 entrepreneurs and experts to discuss business strategies geared toward social and environmental goals. The highlight was a panel discussion called “Investing with Purpose.”
APRIL
27th Amazon Governors’ Forum
Márcia Soares, Fundo Vale’s partnerships and Amazon manager, took part in a meeting of the Land Governance Working Group during the 27th Amazon Governors’ Forum, held in Rio Branco, Acre, marking the beginning of its partnership with the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM). The event highlighted land tenure reform as a key to unlocking bioeconomy, carbon market and forest restoration initiatives. The debates included the use of the Federative Land Regulation System (Sicarf) and the integration of databases to speed up land use planning processes and promote sustainable development in the Amazon.
Carauari Rural Producers’ Association
Patrícia Daros, Fundo Vale’s executive director, visited the Carauari Rural Producers’ Association (ASPROC), accompanied by Mauro Pires of the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) and representatives of social and environmental organizations. The visit deepened their understanding of the management and marketing of Amazonian products such as pirarucu fish and rubber, while strengthening a partnership to support the construction of a trading post and other contributions to the region’s sustainable economy.
MAY
Pre-G20 summit meetings
Patrícia Daros and Márcia Soares took part in the launch of a study called “The Global Bioeconomy,” which highlighted progress in this area in G20 countries. Letícia Zuardi of Fundo Vale’s equity stakes and impact investing area took part in a roundtable discussion on sustainable finance, addressing the just transition, sustainability standards and financing for nature-based solutions. Read more here.
Brazil Climate Investment Week
Organized by Marina Cançado in São Paulo, Brazil Climate Investment Week attracted almost 600 participants from the financial and business sectors. Fundo Vale’s executive director, Gustavo Luz, took part in a panel on catalytic capital and blended finance, emphasizing the importance of these models for financing innovative social and environmental initiatives.
2030 Cocoa Innovation Program
The First Workshop to Structure the Tactical-Operational Plan for the 2030 Cocoa Innovation Program brought together around 70 representatives of the sector, marking the beginning of the program’s second phase, focusing on the Economic-Productive, Social, Environmental and Governance areas. Nathalia Cipoleta of Fundo Vale’s business promotion and sustainable investments area highlighted the importance of this initiative in fostering cocoa production in agroforestry systems, in line with Vale’s 2030 Forest Goal, and in promoting fair working conditions throughout the commodity’s production chain.
Forest Peoples Connection
Camila Maia of Fundo Vale’s Amazon and partnerships area participated in a design thinking workshop held by CESAR School, focusing on a project supported by Fundo Vale, called Forest Peoples Connection. The workshop aimed to design a platform of solutions to improve quality of life, strengthen culture and conserve community territories.
JUNE
Innovation and community businesses
Márcia Soares took part in a workshop called “Innovation and community businesses: How can we bring together and connect these ecosystems?” The event was organized by Conexus and the CERTI Foundation, with support from Fundo Vale and BID Lab. Held in Manaus, the meeting brought together around 50 participants to discuss strategies to strengthen community-based businesses in the Amazon Rainforest, Cerrado Savanna and Caatinga Shrublands, stressing the importance of connecting innovation with community businesses, promoting a sustainable and scalable bioeconomy.
BID Invest
Gustavo Luz participated in “2004 BID Invest Sustainability Week” in Manaus. The event, whose theme was “Co-Creating Impact,” brought together around 800 participants in person and 10,000 online. It addressed topics such as impact investing, climate change, the Amazon, inclusion and the bioeconomy.
Soil quality monitoring
Fundo Vale, together with the Vale Institute of Technology (ITV), participated in the 11th National Seminar of the Brazilian Monitoring and Evaluation Network (RBMA) in Belém. During the event, ITV presented its Soil Quality Index methodology, created to measure soil quality in habitat restoration initiatives supported by Fundo Vale, within the scope of Vale’s 2030 Forest Goal.
Sinergia Investimentos Demo Day
At the first Sinergia Investimentos Demo Day, held on June 25 at Cubo Itaú, eight startups presented innovative solutions regarding the bioeconomy and social and environmental impact to investors, entrepreneurs and organizations in the impact ecosystem. Organized by the CERTI Foundation, Darwin Startups, Amazônia B, CVentures and Fundo Vale, the online event highlighted the evolutionary capital model, which offers financial resources adapted to strategic business phases, as well as connections and expertise. Part of the Amazon Journey, the initiative seeks to strengthen innovative companies and respect the Amazon Rainforest, aligning economic growth with environmental preservation and positive impact.
JULY
2024 Bioeconomy Amazon Summit
Held in Belém, the 2024 Bioeconomy Amazon Summit featured debates on innovation and entrepreneurship in the Amazon. The event brought together various stakeholders to discuss solutions involving the socio-bioeconomy, biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture and the economic empowerment of local communities.
Bioeconomy Fair
The Amazon Entrepreneurship and Bioeconomy Synapse programs, supported by Fundo Vale, held the largest bioeconomy trade show in the Amazon region, in Belém, bringing together around 80 innovative businesses focused on harnessing preserved forests and sustainable solutions. The initiative was part of efforts to boost the sustainable economy in the region, which will host COP30.
Ecological restoration
Supported by Fundo Vale, the Amazon Restoration Alliance actively participated in the 5th Brazilian Conference on Ecological Restoration, held in two neighboring towns in northeastern Brazil (Juazeiro, Bahia and Petrolina, Pernambuco), promoting discussions and strategies for COP 30. The conference’s highlights included harnessing indigenous people’s ancestral wisdom, public policies for seed collection and income generation, and a discussion on the use of technologies such as drones and bio-inputs for ecological restoration. The event reinforced the need for public-private partnerships and incentives for large-scale restoration projects.
Immersion in Belém
The Amazon at Cubo Itaú program, a partnership between Fundo Vale and Cubo Itaú, held an immersion in Belém, Pará, bringing together seven startups and 16 large companies to explore challenges and opportunities in the Amazon. The program included talks, case presentations and interactions with local organizations and entrepreneurs.
AUGUST
Brazilian Congress on Agroforestry Systems
The 13th Brazilian Congress on Agroforestry Systems emphasized recent advances and trends in agroforestry systems with a focus on regenerative production and adaptation to climate change. The event included talks, roundtable discussions and minicourses. Bia Marchiori of Fundo Vale took part in a panel on access to credits, reinforcing Vale’s commitment, as part of its 2030 Forest Goal, to supporting initiatives to restore areas of habitat through sustainable systems.
Circular economy, innovation and land reclamation in the mining sector
Fundo Vale took part in an event at the Mining Hub in Belo Horizonte, alongside companies such as Alcoa, ArcelorMittal Brasil, RHI Magnesita and MORFO, to discuss positive impact initiatives supported by the mining sector. Juliana Vilhena, Fundo Vale’s strategy, management and impact manager, presented Vale’s 2030 Forest Goal and the positive results achieved so far. Find out more here.
New York Climate Week
Fundo Vale participated in one of the world’s foremost events on climate change: New York Climate Week. Gustavo Luz spoke on a panel on climate finance, discussing challenges such as access to capital and the scalability of impact solutions, as well as the importance of multi-sector cooperation.
SEPTEMBER
Latimpacto conference
Márcia Soares represented Fundo Vale at Latimpacto’s third conference, called “Impact Minds: Beyond Frontiers” and held in Oaxaca, Mexico. The event brought together more than 600 people from 36 countries to discuss innovative solutions in venture philanthropy and social and environmental impact, with a focus on themes such as the bioeconomy, climate change and the inclusion of vulnerable groups. The conference also launched initiatives such as the Green Catalytic Fund and the STEM Fund.
OCTOBER
Amazon Impact Investing and Sustainable Business Festival
Fundo Vale was one of the main sponsors of the third edition of the Amazon Impact Investing and Sustainable Business Festival (FIINSA), held in Manaus between October 22 and 25. The event brought together more than 800 participants, including investors, businesspeople and representatives of traditional communities, to discuss innovation, the bioeconomy and positive social and environmental impact in the Amazon. As well as supporting business networking sessions, Fundo Vale took part in strategic panels and celebrated its 15th anniversary with a special dinner for the partners present at the event. A special Amazon-focused edition of the Stanford Social Innovation Review Brasil, called “Amazon: The Past, Present and Future of the Forest,” sponsored by Fundo Vale, was launched during the festival.
Fair contracts in the Amazon
SBSA Advogados, which is leading the “Fair Contracts in the Amazon” initiative, held an event to present its methodology, which aims to promote transparency, fairness and a positive impact on relations between companies and local communities. The presentation was attended by Fundo Vale’s Juliana Vilhena.
NOVEMBER
Amazon and New Economies
“Amazon and New Economies,” an international conference held in Belém, Pará, brought together around 2,800 participants to discuss the future of the Amazon in light of COP30. The event, held by IBRAM with Vale’s support, featured leaders such as John Kerry, Izabela Teixeira and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, and addressed issues such as climate justice, the ecological transition and the bioeconomy. Hugo Barreto, Patrícia Daros and Márcia Soares of Fundo Vale took part in panels on COP30, forest restoration and new sustainable economic models for the region. The event highlighted the importance of actions to protect biodiversity, strengthen the local economy and tackle environmental challenges.
Launch of Cocoa Vulnerability Index
InPACTO, with support from Fundo Vale and CocoaAction Brasil, launched the Cocoa Vulnerability Index, a tool to map socioeconomic and labor conditions in the Brazilian cocoa sector to promote decent practices and eradicate slave-like labor. Using techniques such as principal component analysis and regression, the index identifies areas of greatest vulnerability, supporting companies, public managers and civil society in formulating policies, compliance actions and advocacy campaigns. Fundo Vale attended the launch event for this initiative, which is strengthening the sustainability of the cocoa production chain, in line with Fundo Vale’s criteria of respect for human rights and fair working conditions.
Immersion at Belo Monte Complex
The Amazon Working Group and Social-Technical Committee of the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS), in partnership with power company Norte Energia, held a four-day immersion at Belo Monte Hydroelectric Complex in Altamira, Pará. Márcia Soares participated in the initiative, which included visits to research, development and innovation projects, the Jericoá 2 riverine indigenous community and the Belo Monte Entrepreneurship Program, as well as discussions on sustainable development.
Amazon Restoration Alliance
The Amazon Restoration Alliance’s general assembly presented the organization’s results in 2024 and outlined its plans for 2025 and 2026. The event discussed challenges such as land issues, conflicts with local communities and the integration of restoration policies with the bioeconomy, especially in the run-up to COP30. The alliance, made up of more than 150 members, also launched a study called “The Restoration Bioeconomy in the Amazon,” in partnership with The Nature Conservancy.
DECEMBER
The Meeting of State Land Institutes brought together representatives of public, private and civil society organizations to discuss solutions for land tenure reform and territorial governance in the Amazon region. At the event, attended by Fundo Vale and the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), a study called “State of the Art in Land Governance” was presented, highlighting different states’ experiences and strategies. There were also debates on emerging technologies such as georeferencing and blockchain, as well as the integration of public policies, rural development and environmental protection. The launch of the Brazil Lands Platform by MDA was a technological milestone for transparency in the sector, and a strategic document was drawn up to guide future actions.