By Virginia Cross A traditional chilli pepper found on tables across the Peruvian Amazon is on its way to the U.K, thanks to the English non-profit Plant Your Future. Spicing up dishes with some of this Amazon heat connects straight back to farmers working to restore the rainforest. This tiny pepper, known as ají charapita, […]
By Gabriela Albuja At Canopy Bridge we know that meeting suppliers in the field makes a big difference for companies looking to source sustainable, natural products. To help support direct-trade relationship building we launched a contest together with the Environmental Defense Fund at the end of 2017, which offered small grants to help […]
Versión en español aquí Versão em português aqui Article by: Jacob Olander, Gabriela Albuja, Kevin Moull, Chris Meyer, Juliana Splendore and Karina Bautista Introduction When properly supported, indigenous communities can make significant contributions to rainforest conservation. Legally recognized indigenous territories (ITs) cover over one fifth of the Amazon and, because they tend to […]
By Gabriela Albuja and Jacob Olander Jabuticaba, camu-camu, and mangaba are native Brazilian fruits with at least three times the Vitamin C found in exotic species like oranges, bananas and papayas. And yet Brazilians consume much, much more of the latter. While Brazil is home to more than 2,500 native fruit species, only açai […]
Read More… from Eating Brazilian Biodiversity – The Right Way
By Jacob Olander Chocolate may be heavenly, but macambo seeds – from a cousin of the cacao tree – may be the most exciting rainforest superfood that you’ve never heard of. Macambo packs a hefty dose of protein, fiber and antioxidants into a delicious, crunchy nut-like package. Theobroma literally means “food of the gods,” […]
By Gabriela Albuja With CanopyBridge.com we aim to make it easier for buyers and sellers to find each other and connect on line – but at some point there´s still no substitute for meeting face to face. Building on the success of last year´s “Forest Economies” prize, we launched a competitive award to provide […]
Read More… from Sealing the deal: Winners of our 2017 Forest Economy Awards
By Jacob Olander For years, the Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) has been emblematic of the idea that we can conserve the Amazon rainforest by using its valuable products wisely. No other product of the Amazon rainforest generates as much revenue, for as many people – this nut can be an economic lifeline for forests. […]
Read More… from Still Standing: Revisiting the ‘cornerstone of Amazon conservation’
This article by Ciro Calderon was originally published by Ecosystem Marketplace Father Silvio Brosegihini knew nothing of marketing or logistics when he founded the Chankuap Foundation in 1996, but that didn’t stop him from helping the indigenous Achuar and Shuar people develop a sustainable cosmetics industry built on the oils of rare plants. 28 […]
Read More… from Chankuap Foundation: A Cosmetics Factory In The Amazon Forest
Iván Ulchur-Rota Açai (Euterpe oleracea) is a small black fruit that hangs from tall palms of the lowland regions in the Amazon. In the archipelago of Bailique, in the northeastern part of the Brazilian Amazon, farmers harvest the fruit by binding their feet together to form a stirrup that grips against the trunk of […]
By Juliana Splendore In late summer of 2016, Emily Stone, the founder of Uncommon Cacao – an American supplier of specialty cacao beans to artisanal chocolate producers – travelled to Colombia for the first time to scout potential sustainable cacao producers. Her trip took her to two extreme corners of Colombia – the Sierra Nevada, […]
