2nd Accelerator Event 26 June 2024
It’s not the lack of restoration projects but the limited scaling, funding, and acceleration of existing solutions that hinders progress and impact. With this realisation, iNovaland®, together with WWF’s Bankable Nature Solutions established the “project acceleration series” —a series of online engagements that delve into specific projects from different landscapes, providing solutions and connecting them to potential collaborators.
“The Accelerator series invites people to join who have a wide range of skills and experience in investment, social development and sustainable land use. We know there are no quick fixes or silver bullets, but that by working together we can share knowledge and experience to resolve challenges and scale-up solutions”, declare Luis Neves Silva, CEO of iNovaland®.
Natalya Skiba, WWF Bankable Nature Solutions (BNS) Network Coordinator, talks about his perception of the event “It’s admirable to see the great work of these indigenous communities to find new ways of supporting themselves financially, by utilizing their traditional artisanal craftsmanship and knowledge of nature. I really appreciate that they share about how they do this in our Project Acceleration Series calls, so they can showcase their approaches and inspire others to work in a harmonious way with their natural surroundings, serving as stewards of their natural assets for generations to come“.
The first session of the series was held in March 2024 and dived into Tafika Community Forestry from Malawi and Talmond Foods from Ghana, bringing together 65 participants from 20 countries.
The second event in our Accelerator series brought together more than 45 participants and focused on two community-led projects from South Bahia, Brazil: “Formas da Natureza – sustainable crafts that protect the Atlantic Forest” and “Cheiros e Saberes da Mata Atlântica: drop by drop we can change the world.” These projects benefit from the technical and financial assistance of the FASB programme, our collaborative initiative that incubates and accelerates community-led efforts in Atlantic Rainforest restoration and regenerative farming in Bahia.
Below is a brief presentation of the projects invited to the event and their perceptions of taking part in the online event. The first one is the “Formas da Natureza”, a initiative that was born 15 years ago:
“I think this type of event is strategic in that it gives so many people the opportunity to be there together to contribute to our idea, our programme. As well as helping to strengthen an initiative that is important for trying to reduce deforestation in the Far South of Bahia and, at the same time, strengthen such an important economic activity as handicraft production. The lessons learnt are related to the feedback we received from the people who took part in the event; this makes us realise first of all that we are not alone – many people are interested in contributing – and also the issue of being able to count on a collaborative network, which makes us very satisfied and confident that in the future we will be able to get the support we need to really make this Formas da Natureza initiative a reality.“Oscar Artaza, Ciclos Institute
“I think this type of event is strategic in that it gives so many people the opportunity to be there together to contribute to our idea, our programme. As well as helping to strengthen an initiative that is important for trying to reduce deforestation in the Far South of Bahia and, at the same time, strengthen such an important economic activity as handicraft production. The lessons learnt are related to the feedback we received from the people who took part in the event; this makes us realise first of all that we are not alone – many people are interested in contributing – and also the issue of being able to count on a collaborative network, which makes us very satisfied and confident that in the future we will be able to get the support we need to really make this Formas da Natureza initiative a reality.“
The second project presented was the “Cheiros e Saberes da Mata Atlântica”, an ancestral relationship with the Atlantic Rainforest:
“Following the valuable guidance of the participants, we are going to draw up a comprehensive and clear proposal outlining the real needs for investment in structuring actions for the enterprise, given the nature of the intended networking. We know where we want to go with our venture, and with partners pointing out the best ways forward, the journey will be less onerous. We would also like to thank all the participants for their contributions to our work. Let’s move forward guided by sustainability and always hand in hand!”. Marilza Machado and Osmar dos Santos One purpose of the series is to provide a network of experienced project developers and other actors for input and peer support. The online format involved project presentations and highly interactive audience discussions focused on problem-solving, providing solutions, and identifying opportunities to accelerate the case studies. “Taking part in the Project Acceleration Series event was a unique and enriching experience for us. We presented our enterprise, our challenges, and our goals for the next five years,” said Osmar dos Santos from Cheiros e Saberes da Mata Atlântica Project. And Marilza Machado added, “Participants helped us realize we are on the right track with networking, plans to expand production capacity with more robust equipment, and organic certification of products, among other goals“. Similarly, Oscar Artaza from the Formas da Natureza Project expressed appreciation for the input from participants, noting that hearing from other experts and project developers not only boosted their confidence but also provided critical insights for improvement. “From the inputs we received, I noticed a greater need to strengthen our product commercialization strategies (wooden handicrafts and biocosmetics) by developing market studies and business plans focused on socio-environmental impacts.” Given the need to boost community livelihoods, the FASB programme has been essential in ensuring that nature and forest restoration efforts develop local economies, create jobs, and contribute to sustainable development. This aligns with our shared mission with BNS and the projects we feature in the Accelerator series. As Oscar noted, “the forest restoration chain should directly engage with the economy towards a bioeconomy. Strategies for generating income from non-timber forest resources need to be prioritized within the scope of promoted projects. This is the best strategy for engaging the local community in biodiversity conservation actions.”
“Following the valuable guidance of the participants, we are going to draw up a comprehensive and clear proposal outlining the real needs for investment in structuring actions for the enterprise, given the nature of the intended networking. We know where we want to go with our venture, and with partners pointing out the best ways forward, the journey will be less onerous. We would also like to thank all the participants for their contributions to our work. Let’s move forward guided by sustainability and always hand in hand!”. Marilza Machado and Osmar dos Santos
“Following the valuable guidance of the participants, we are going to draw up a comprehensive and clear proposal outlining the real needs for investment in structuring actions for the enterprise, given the nature of the intended networking. We know where we want to go with our venture, and with partners pointing out the best ways forward, the journey will be less onerous. We would also like to thank all the participants for their contributions to our work. Let’s move forward guided by sustainability and always hand in hand!”.
One purpose of the series is to provide a network of experienced project developers and other actors for input and peer support. The online format involved project presentations and highly interactive audience discussions focused on problem-solving, providing solutions, and identifying opportunities to accelerate the case studies. “Taking part in the Project Acceleration Series event was a unique and enriching experience for us. We presented our enterprise, our challenges, and our goals for the next five years,” said Osmar dos Santos from Cheiros e Saberes da Mata Atlântica Project. And Marilza Machado added, “Participants helped us realize we are on the right track with networking, plans to expand production capacity with more robust equipment, and organic certification of products, among other goals“.
Similarly, Oscar Artaza from the Formas da Natureza Project expressed appreciation for the input from participants, noting that hearing from other experts and project developers not only boosted their confidence but also provided critical insights for improvement. “From the inputs we received, I noticed a greater need to strengthen our product commercialization strategies (wooden handicrafts and biocosmetics) by developing market studies and business plans focused on socio-environmental impacts.”
Given the need to boost community livelihoods, the FASB programme has been essential in ensuring that nature and forest restoration efforts develop local economies, create jobs, and contribute to sustainable development. This aligns with our shared mission with BNS and the projects we feature in the Accelerator series. As Oscar noted, “the forest restoration chain should directly engage with the economy towards a bioeconomy. Strategies for generating income from non-timber forest resources need to be prioritized within the scope of promoted projects. This is the best strategy for engaging the local community in biodiversity conservation actions.”
However, like any small-scale community-based projects, the two case studies faced challenges, which were discussed during the event:
Participants shared similar experiences and lessons on overcoming such challenges, including establishing local partnerships, registering with FSC, and further commercializing wood and non-wood eco-products. “We were very interested to learn about the work of the Nhien Thao company in Vietnam, which processes essential oils from forest products. Going forward, we will draft a comprehensive proposal outlining our investment needs for structuring actions for the enterprise, given the nature of the intended networking. We know where we want to go with our venture, and with partners pointing out the best ways forward, the journey will be less onerous”, adds Marilza.
Other online participants were able to show positive examples from their own experience and make recommendations for existing platforms that can help with marketing of Brazilian products into international markets. It is this sharing of knowledge and experience from around the world that makes these events so valuable. As Gabriela Narezi, one of the participants who made several contributions to the projects presented and tell us in her commentary:
“Firstly, I’d like to congratulate the Project Acceleration Series initiative. I found the format of the event very appropriate. The diversity of the participants’ profiles, including people from different organisations at regional, national and international level, was very interesting and provided strategic suggestions and reflections. I really liked the format in which the participants asked questions, guiding the subsequent contributions from the experts present. In relation to the cases presented, I noticed a greater need to strengthen product commercialisation strategies (wooden handicrafts and biocosmetics) by drawing up market studies and business plans focused on socio-environmental impacts. The forest restoration chain is in direct dialogue with the bioeconomy and strategies for generating income from non-timber forest resources need to be given due attention within the scope of the projects being promoted. I believe this is the best strategy for engaging the local community in biodiversity conservation actions”.
Gabriela Narezi, teatcher from UFSB – University of South of Bahia, event’s participant
As with our first Accelerator event there was also a scale challenge, and the two Brazilian projects were both slightly too small for some of the mainstream investment opportunities. However, through FASB-supported projects, we have learnt that big impacts start small.
During my visit to Bahia earlier this year, I witnessed the interconnectedness and mutual support among project developers. As Márcio Braga, FASB Coordinator, said, “The success of one project is the success of all, and the failure of one is the failure of all”. The interconnectedness of these small initiatives created a massive impact, often undermined by stringent funding requirements.
We are channelling this spirit of cooperation and ecosystem of collaboration in our Accelerator Series. As more projects evolve, we demonstrate that green entrepreneurship is possible, bringing significant social and environmental benefits.
From all of us at iNovaland® and BNS, we are very grateful to Oscar, Marilza and Osmar for presenting, and we will continue to work with them to follow up on discussions and make connections. We also want to say a huge thank you to all the other participants who generously shared their knowledge and experience.
Our next event is on Thursday September 12th and will be focused on projects in south east Asia, follow iNovaland® and BNS on LinkedIn for updates and more details.
If you’d like your project to feature in a future Accelerator event, then please get in touch. Similarly, if you are an investor or founder Interested in working with innovative and resilient projects then we would love to hear from you.
