Brazilian Bank Invests $2B to Protect Amazon Communities

When Wagner Ferreira and his neighbors in the Arapiranga community near Belém started getting bank accounts, something unexpected happened. They realized they could grow their açaí and cocoa businesses while keeping the forest standing.

For generations, hundreds of communities across the Amazon have lived sustainably off the forest, relying on traditional knowledge to harvest products like açaí, cocoa, and cupuaçu. But distance from cities and limited internet access kept them locked out of the financial system that could help their businesses thrive.

Banco do Brasil created a solution called the Bioeconomy Finance Hub to bridge that gap. The regional platform connects forest communities with financial services, training, and market access they need to turn sustainable practices into reliable income.

The numbers tell a powerful story. The bank has invested more than $2 billion (R$2 billion) in forest-compatible businesses, reaching over 70,000 people across the Legal Amazon. By 2030, they expect that figure to hit $5 billion and impact roughly 1 million people through jobs and income tied to Amazon products.

The Hub works because it takes a regional approach instead of funding isolated projects. It brings together communities, cooperatives, civil society groups, governments, and banks to share knowledge and resources at scale.

In Arapiranga, the impact goes beyond farming. A women-led seamstresses collective now has access to financial services that help their business grow. "Keeping the forest standing also means taking care of the people who protect this knowledge," Ferreira explains.

Project Manager Ana Claudia Melo works directly with regional partners to strengthen these forest-based value chains and support reforestation efforts. The Hub provides technical assistance, helps businesses meet environmental standards, and connects producers with buyers who value sustainably sourced products.

The Ripple Effect

The Hub's success demonstrates something crucial about conservation. Protecting forests isn't just about restricting use or buying land. It requires investing in the people who've always lived there sustainably.

When communities can access credit and markets for their forest products, they have powerful economic reasons to keep trees standing. That creates jobs, preserves biodiversity, protects Indigenous knowledge, and fights climate change all at once.

The initiative aligns with Banco do Brasil's Agenda 30, a sustainability strategy updated in September that sets nineteen targets around sustainable finance and positive environmental impact. The Bioeconomy Finance Hub serves as the engine for delivering those commitments across the Amazon and other strategic regions.

For families in places like Arapiranga, financial inclusion has opened doors they didn't know existed. Many realized for the first time that they could invest in their businesses while supporting their community's social development.

The model shows that when institutions meet communities where they are and provide the right support, forest protection becomes an economic opportunity rather than a sacrifice.