Sustainable value chain
Monetizing Preserved Areas in the Cerrado through the Sustainable
PATHWAYS
.
START
December
2023
DURATION
12 months
BIOME
Cerrado
LOCATION
Brazil
STATUS
In progress
Bioactives are high value-added components that can only be grown in preserved areas. In Brazil, more than 650 million hectares covered by native vegetation can become valuable sources of income for farmers. Bio2Me proposes to identify preserved areas in the Cerrado biome and to forge sustainable value chains, from seeds to food production and inputs for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, offering growers complementary revenue as an alternative to clearing new crop land.
Using artificial intelligence and the internet of things, this startup does quantitative and qualitative analyses of legal reserve areas or remaining native vegetation, and identifies revenue-generating potentials per hectare. Once it has mapped the native phytophysiognomy, Bio2Me calculates potential returns, proposes the additional planting of seeds best suited to the preserved area, and provides monitoring and technical assistance from the initial diagnosis to the final marketing of products.
During the Sustainable Soy in the Cerrado Program, the startup intends to plant up to 200 seedlings of bioactives native to the biome – such as baru and fava d'anta – and to implant sensors in trees of native species already located on the farms that will be part of this pilot project. At the end of the program, the data they collect will feed into a diagnosis to analyze each farm's potential for producing bioactives and adding value to its standing forest.
