Handicrafts generate income of R$ 273 thousand for riverside dwellers and indigenous people of Amazonas

bioeconomy

With products inspired by nature, Americanas is a partner of Jirau da Amazônia and makes products available online

Manaus (AM) — The craft production chain supported by the Sustainable Amazon Foundation (FAS) guaranteed revenue of R$ 273 thousand for riverside and indigenous artisans in the period from January to November 2023. More than 8.6 thousand pieces were sold, with an average ticket R$31.64 per piece. The success of the creative economy ended up at the Americanas headquarters, in Rio de Janeiro (RJ), where pieces inspired by Amazonian nature and biodiversity were launched.

Since 2019, Americanas, in partnership with traditional communities, Fundação Amazônia Sustentável (FAS) and Associação Zagaia, has provided a virtual store on its marketplace to contribute to the development of the Amazon region.

There are 10 groups of artisans located in four Conservation Units (CUs) in Amazonas: Rio Negro Environmental Protection Area (APA) and the Sustainable Development Reserves (RDS) of Amanã, Rio Negro, and Puranga Conquista.

The FAS program operates through strategic actions focused on entrepreneurial training and training, productive planning and organization, access to financial resources and financial education and innovative and sustainable businesses. Furthermore, the entrepreneurial training courses benefited 48 artisans from five communities in Amazonas in 2023.

“The craft chain showed its strength throughout the year, maintaining its essence of valuing riverside and indigenous cultures. The development of new products with innovative design inspired by nature was a high point that demonstrates the creativity and potential that sustainable activities have to offer, not only as an economic model for the Amazon, but also to generate positive impact for the world”,

says FAS Entrepreneurship Manager, Wildney Mourão.

Launch on the Americanas website

One of the great highlights of the year was the development of handcrafted pieces inspired by Amazonian biodiversity by the craft group Formiguinhas do Saracá, from the Saracá community, in RDS Rio Negro. The group developed five pieces that refer to Amazonian nature: the Trilha do Peixe fruit bowl, the Sucuri fruit bowl, the Vitória-régia centerpiece, the Aninga fruit bowl and the Rio Negro lamp, designed by designer Sergio Matos.

The products, made with raw materials from the forest, were launched at the Americanas headquarters, in Rio de Janeiro, and are available for sale on the store’s website, as part of the Jirau da Amazônia initiative.

“We increasingly seek to be present in the lives of Brazilians and make a difference in building a more sustainable country and world. With Jirau da Amazônia, we help bring Forest products to thousands of active customers on our platform, boosting the bioeconomy and entrepreneurship”, comments Bruna Saboia, Sustainability Manager at Americanas.

“My dream is for ‘Formiguinhas’ to be internationally recognized and it will be. Now, we just have to work harder so that we can be known all over the world”,

said artisan Tatiana Nogueira.

Sustainable development

The Sustainable Amazon Foundation (FAS) is a non-profit civil society organization that works for the sustainable development of the Amazon. Its mission is to contribute to the conservation of the biome, to improve the quality of life of the populations of the Amazon and to enhance the standing forest and its biodiversity.

In 2023, the institution completes 15 years of operation with outstanding numbers, such as the 202% increase in the average income of thousands of benefited families and the 40% drop in deforestation in areas served between 2008 and 2021.

Green Company

Americanas is an almost century-old retailer with broad social relevance. To reinforce its commitment to positive impact and future generations, in 2007 the company created the Green Company Committee to work on socio-environmental issues.

Americanas operates in line with the commitments of the 2030 Agenda, in which society, governments and companies commit to developing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN) by the year 2030, contributing to its strategy of ESG.

*With information from consultancy

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