Imaflora

Imaflora — the Institute for Forest and Agricultural Management and Certification (Instituto de Manejo e Certificação Florestal e Agrícola) — is a Brazilian non-governmental organization founded in 1995 by forest engineer Tasso Azevedo. It works to promote the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, to generate social benefits from those resources, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The organization emerged from the momentum of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (ECO-92) in Rio de Janeiro, with its first field actions carried out in the Tapajós National Forest in western Pará state. Its founding premise was that the best way to conserve tropical forests is to give them an economic purpose, combined with good management practices and responsible stewardship of natural resources. Imaflora operates as a certification body, technical assistance provider and data platform builder across Brazil's forestry and agricultural value chains. According to its own account, it has provided technical assistance to more than 1,000 companies in the forestry and agricultural sectors, and its actions cover more than 76 million hectares across five Brazilian biomes: the Amazon, Caatinga, Cerrado, Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica) and Pampas. The institute is governed by a 16-member board and employs a team of 76 people. Its portfolio spans several flagship programs. In coffee, Imaflora spreads certification concepts through conferences, training, field days and participation in public policy, with Brazil plus Colombia, Peru, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras taking part. The "Forêts de valeur" (Valuable Forests) project aims to make protected areas in Pará contribute to regional development while offering decent conditions to the people who conserve natural resources. "Les yeux de la forêt" (Eyes of the Forest) supports family farming and the guaraná production chain in Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas, in partnership with Coca-Cola. The "Origines Brésil" platform seeks greater transparency for agro-extractive products and trade relations with traditional and indigenous peoples of the Amazon. The ELO program sets rules for the sugarcane production chain and designs incentives for farmers and producers, verified by Imaflora in partnership with the Solidaridad Foundation and developed by Raízen. Imaflora also provides technical assistance in the green coffee value chain for more than 2,500 farms supplying Nespresso in Brazil and worldwide, mapping social and environmental risks to define sustainability action plans. The Timberflow platform combines information and communication technologies with the publication and reuse of large data sets to reduce illegal logging in the Amazon. Imaflora positions itself at the intersection of environmental conservation, social inclusion and market-based sustainability tools. Rather than a conventional commercial brand, it is a mission-driven institute whose "products" are certification services, traceability platforms, technical assistance and multi-stakeholder programs that connect producers, companies and consumers around responsible sourcing.

Imaflora was founded in 1995 by forest engineer Tasso Azevedo, at a time when the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (ECO-92) in Rio de Janeiro had placed tropical forest conservation high on the international agenda. The institute's first actions were carried out in the Tapajós National Forest, located in western Pará state. Its founding principle was that the best way to conserve tropical forests is to give them an economic destination, associated with good management practices and responsible management of natural resources. Over the following decades, Imaflora expanded from forest certification into agricultural value chains, building a portfolio of programs that combine certification, technical assistance, traceability and public policy work. In coffee, it spread certification concepts through conferences, training, field days and participation in public policy creation, with Brazil plus Colombia, Peru, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras taking part in the initiative to increase certified coffee areas. The "Forêts de valeur" project sought to make protected areas in Pará contribute to regional development by offering decent conditions to the populations that help conserve natural resources. The "Les yeux de la forêt" project was created to encourage family farming and the guaraná production chain in Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas, in partnership with the American company Coca-Cola. The "Origines Brésil" platform aimed to give more transparency to agro-extractive products and trade relations with traditional populations and indigenous peoples of the Amazon. The ELO program established rules for the sugarcane production chain and designed incentives for farmers and sugarcane producers, verified by Imaflora in partnership with the Solidaridad Foundation and developed by Raízen. Imaflora also became responsible for technical assistance in the green coffee value chain for more than 2,500 farms supplying Nespresso in Brazil and worldwide, analyzing social and environmental risks across the supply chain to define sustainability action plans. The Timberflow platform was created to reduce illegal logging in the Amazon by combining information and communication technologies with the publication and reuse of large amounts of data. By its own account, Imaflora has provided technical assistance to more than 1,000 companies in the forestry and agricultural sectors, and its actions cover more than 76 million hectares across five Brazilian biomes: the Amazon, Caatinga, Cerrado, Mata Atlântica and Pampas. The institute is led by a 16-member board and has a team of 76 people.

• 1995

  Imaflora is founded by forest engineer Tasso Azevedo; first actions take place in the Tapajós National Forest in western Pará.

• 1992

  United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (ECO-92) in Rio de Janeiro sets the context for Imaflora's creation.

• Coffee and biodiversity certification program expands to Colombia, Peru, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras alongside Brazil.

• "Les yeux de la forêt" guaraná project launched in Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas, in partnership with Coca-Cola.

• ELO program for the sugarcane chain developed by Raízen and verified by Imaflora in partnership with the Solidaridad Foundation.

• Imaflora provides technical assistance in the green coffee value chain for more than 2,500 farms supplying Nespresso.

• Timberflow platform launched to reduce illegal logging in the Amazon through data transparency.

Mission-driven Brazilian NGO using certification, traceability and technical assistance to make forestry and agriculture more sustainable and socially inclusive.

• Timberflow platform

  Combines information and communication technologies with publication and reuse of large data sets to reduce illegal logging in the Amazon.

• Origines Brésil platform

  Aims to give more transparency to agro-extractive products and trade relations with traditional populations and indigenous peoples of the Amazon.

• ELO program

  Establishes rules for the sugarcane production chain and designs incentives for farmers and producers; verified by Imaflora in partnership with the Solidaridad Foundation and developed by Raízen.

• Nespresso green coffee technical assistance

  Imaflora analyzes social and environmental risks across the supply chain for more than 2,500 farms supplying Nespresso, defining sustainability action plans.

• Coffee and biodiversity certification

  Spreads coffee certification concepts through conferences, training, field days and public policy participation in Brazil and five other countries.

• Forêts de valeur (Valuable Forests)

  Aims for protected areas in Pará to contribute to regional development by offering decent conditions to populations that conserve natural resources.

• Les yeux de la forêt (Eyes of the Forest)

  Encourages family farming and the guaraná production chain in Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas, in partnership with Coca-Cola.

1. 1Imaflora official websiteimaflora.org
2. 2Imaflora on Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Imaflora on French Wikipediafr.wikipedia.org