Amazon today announced the launch of the Agroforestry and Restoration Accelerator in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, a global environmental organization. The initiative focuses on reforestation and regenerative agroforestry while driving the local economy by creating a more sustainable source of income for thousands of local farmers in the Brazilian Amazonian state of Pará.
The Accelerator will help small farmers restore degraded cattle pastures to native forest and agroforestry, while the agroforestry systems will provide farmers with a sustainable source of income through the sale of cocoa and other crops.
Amazon’s initial investment in the Accelerator will support 3,000 farmers and restore approximately 20,000 hectares within three years, removing up to 10 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through 2050.
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“Pará is home to 9% percent of the world’s tropical forest, but it’s facing unprecedented rates of deforestation, losing 3,300 acres every day in the last year. Over the last 13 years, small farms in Pará—an area where slash-and-burn agriculture can seem like the only option—were responsible for an average of 40% of the state’s deforestation,” said Jennifer Morris, CEO, The Nature Conservancy.
The Agroforestry and Restoration Accelerator is one such carbon removal project, and part of Amazon’s commitment to meeting The Climate Pledge, which the company co-founded with Global Optimism.
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Additionally, through the recently announced LEAF Coalition — a public-private initiative to mobilize at least $1 billion to protect the world’s tropical forests — Amazon and other partners are working to curb tropical deforestation, reducing the amount of carbon emitted in the atmosphere.
“Restoring the world’s forests is one of the most meaningful actions we can take right now to address climate change. Amazon is looking forward to contributing our passion for innovation along with financial support to improve the livelihoods of local communities in Brazil, while helping to protect the planet for future generations,” said Kara Hurst, vice president of worldwide sustainability at Amazon.
