Event brings entrepreneurs and investors together in Belém

Around 80 startups and investors convened on August 1st in Belém do Pará, Brazil, for the inaugural Bioeconomy Amazon Summit (BAS). Organized by the UN Global Compact in Brazil and the venture capital firm KPTL, the event aims to drive sustainable business in the Amazon by creating a platform for innovation and collaboration.

“The BAS is an opportunity to bring more people into the socio bioeconomy discussion at such a relevant time for the country’s socio-environmental agenda,” says Laura Motta, Sustainability Manager at Mercado Libre, one of the event's supporters. Since 2020, the largest e-commerce in Latin America has been working to strengthen socio biodiversity businesses through the Biomas a um Clique (Biomes in a Click) program. This initiative trains entrepreneurs and promotes the sale of socio biodiversity products that contribute to income generation and the preservation of Latin American biomes.

Over 600 people attended, including governmental representatives of the state of Pará, civil society, indigenous leaders, companies, investors, and entrepreneurs. The event was organized into three main areas: the Entrepreneurial Arena, the Plenary, and Thematic Rooms. In the Entrepreneurial Arena, 60 bioeconomy startups showcased their businesses and participated in talks on topics such as investments and incentives for impact-driven businesses. The Plenary sessions addressed issues such as innovation in the Amazon, climate change, and the role of investors, corporations, and government bodies in driving these advancements.

A gastronomic experience To kick off the event's packed agenda, which included panels, roundtable discussions, and pitches, Mercado Libre put on a local gastronomic experience led by Chef Saulo Jennings, aiming to connect people with the culture and vigor of the Amazon: “The interactions during this event underscored the need to deepen the discussion on what kind of socio-bioeconomy makes sense for the Amazon and the challenge of ensuring a good quality of life for the 28 million people living in the region, while also preserving both their way of life and the forest. I hope we can work together to further amplify the potential of the people and the rich knowledge and flavors of the Amazon,” concluded Laura.

Additionally, during the dinner, the pilot of the "Vitrines da Bioeconomia" project was launched, a venture conceived by Assobio (Association of Socio Bioeconomy Businesses of the Amazon) with support from Mercado Libre. The initiative seeks to strengthen small and medium-sized bioeconomy businesses, fostering sustainable development in the Amazon region.