In order to reduce the pressure (deforestation/degradation) on the forest and promote the sustainable development of the population, our REDD+ Brazil Nut Concessions (REDD+ BN) project promotes and implements strategies to increase the economic capacity of the community by strengthening the Brazil nut activity (one of the main economic activities in the region). In line with this, we developed a sustainable productive project, which currently brings together 25 REDD+ project partners for the group sale of organic Brazil nuts.
Organic Brazil nut Certification: REDD+ BN and ARCOMAD
This initiative promoted by REDD+ BN aims to provide support to its concession partners to comply with the principles of good forest management and obtain organic certification of their Brazil nuts so that they can achieve a better price and market position. To this end, since 2022, the technical team has provided participating partners with various training workshops, technical assistance, certification kits and support for participation in internships and business rounds with potential buyers to improve forest management and product quality.
Thanks to project support, the Association of Organic Brazil Nut Collectors of Madre de Dios (ARCOMAD) was formed and consolidated: a nonprofit organization that aims to meet the requirements of good forest management to achieve certification and marketing of organic Brazil nuts. As a result of the positive impact of the strategies implemented, in 2023 ARCOMAD obtained certification (IMO Cert) under the standards of the European Union, North America and Peru, closing a first commercial agreement for its certified product.
“With the support of REDD+ Brazil Nut Concessions in coordination with FEPROCAMD, we have formed our association ARCOMAD. The project gave us workshops and we have already obtained organic certification and have even already sold. We are still being advised by the project as part of ARCOMAD’s growth and I believe that REDD+ Castañeros is supporting us.” – David Quispe, son of REDD+ BN partner and ARCOMAD member.
Historic milestone for REDD+ BN: first group sale of organic Brazil nut consolidated
Historicamente, el negocio de la castaña de los pequeños productores de Madre de Dios se ha comercializado a través de terceros intermediarios y de forma individual, limitando las oportunidades y beneficios de los castañeros. Gracias al apoyo de REDD+ Castañeros, la ARCOMAD ha logrado romper con ese círculo brindando a los castañeros un mayor poder de negociación mediante la venta conjunta de sus productos. Por primera vez, los castañeros socios del Proyecto REDD+ se unieron para realizar la venta agrupada de castaña orgánica, logrando un producto de mejor calidad, reduciendo sus costos (p.ej. recolección, transporte y almacenamiento) y obteniendo un mejor precio en el mercado gracias al volumen ofertado y la certificación obtenida.
Historically, the Brazil nut business of small producers in Madre de Dios has been marketed through third-party intermediaries and on an individual basis, limiting opportunities and benefits for Brazil nut farmers. Thanks to REDD+ BN’s support, ARCOMAD has been able to break this cycle by giving Brazil nut farmers greater bargaining power through the joint sale of their products. For the first time, REDD+ BN partners have joined together to sell organic Brazil nuts as a group, achieving a better quality product, reducing their costs (e.g. harvesting, transport and storage) and obtaining a better market price thanks to the volume offered and the certification obtained.
Thanks to the excellent work of its Brazil nut members, in 2023 ARCOMAD achieved the organic certification of its product, which allowed them to manage and sign an important agreement with a purchasing company for a volume of approximately 2,000 barrels (sacks) of organic Brazil nuts corresponding to the “zafra” or harvest 2024, thus obtaining a better market price.
Don’t miss the testimony of one of our BN partners, member of ARCOMAD, here!
To date, our REDD+ Brazil Nut Concessions conservation project works hand in hand with more than 700 partner families to protect more than 500,000 hectares of Brazil nut forests in Madre de Dios. The project’s technical team continues to support the Association in finding and establishing new commercial opportunities in the market.
Learn more about the project in our REDD+ Brazil Nut Concessions 2023 Annual Report!
BAM, private investment for a sustainable world
By: Valeria Drinot
