The Mata Atlântica Agroforestry Project

The Project

The aim of the Mata Atlântica Agroforestry Project is to restore pastureland and revitalize cocoa forests in southern Bahia, the historical center of cocoa cultivation in Brazil. This enables us to preserve the region's biodiversity and tackle the impact of climate change. We use the traditional cultivation method of the region, the “Cabruca” agroforestry system, and enhance it with ecological intensification methods to ensure long-term profitability, thereby enabling fair wages and attractive long-term returns for sustainably oriented investors. With the purchase and regeneration of cocoa cultivation areas that have already been inspected and are available for sale, we plan to cultivate around 3000 hectares of cabruca within 20 years. Due to permanently high purchase prices and favorable conditions in the region, we can achieve above-average returns for sustainably oriented investors after just a few years. Our biodiversity-friendly approach of cocoa cultivation harmonizes the conservation of the Mata Atlântica, the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest and human well-being.

The Cocoa-Forest

Cocoa forests, so called cabrucas, shape the landscape of the cocoa coast of southern Bahia, Brazil's traditional cocoa-producing region. The region's biodiversity could only be preserved due to these cocoa forests. Cabrucas are used by the native fauna as corridors between rainforest fragments or as habitats themselves. A large proportion of Brazil's cocoa has been produced on the Cocoa Coast for more than 250 years. Cocoa cultivation is the most important economic sector in the region and provides many jobs for small local farmers. Around 70% of the land under cultivation in Bahia is operated by small farmers and cooperatives. Within our project, we are preserving the local culture of cocoa cultivation, while enabling access to the global market by bundling sales and financing. As a result, we are able to negotiate directly with industrial buyers and have access to international capital markets. These advantages enable us to finance high social standards, such as the establishment of a social fund.

Biodiversity

Cabrucas are crucial for the conservation of biodiversity in the region. This traditional agroforestry-system harmonizes species conservation and human well-being. Cabrucas are harbouring a unique fauna of amphibians and reptiles whose diversity is among the highest in the world. The region is classified as an Important Bird Area. By investing in the biodiversity-friendly production of cocoa, we are contributing to the preservation of the cabruca agroforestry system and thus the biodiversity of the Mata Atlântica. The protection of the endangered golden-headed lion tamarins plays, as flagship species, a special role in the region. This tiny monkeys are severely threatened due to habitat destruction and they have only been able to survive due to cocoa cultivation, as they can use cabrucas as corridors and habitats if these are managed in a biodiversity-friendly way. Some of the farmland we are targeting is already certified organic and we intend to expand bio-certification in the years to come.