Amazonia's Paddock to Plate Promise

At Amazonia, our goal is to support the environment in which our food is produced in order to sustain healthy ecosystems and grow nutritious foods for healthy living. We understand the huge responsibility we hold in changing our industry and protecting our natural habitats for future generations.

We believe in changing the system from the inside out. A health kick for the industry, generating ongoing benefits. We provide employment through sustainable practices that do not harm local ecosystems but enrich and protect them instead. We strive to build and support sustainable farming practices to fight deforestation, global climate change and destruction of soil fertility.

With sustainable farming practices, we can build sustainable local economies while protecting natural resources and producing organic food to feed the world. We’ve built the beginning, but there’s a long way to go — which is why supporting sustainable food production systems is at the very heart of everything we do at Amazonia.

Record loss of rainforest ecosystems could be a tipping point

Our forests are home to over half of our Earth’s land-based species, and over 1 billion people globally use them for shelter, food, medicine and supporting their livelihoods. However, extensive sections of the world’s rainforests have been destroyed to make way for cattle grazing and agriculture use, and continue to be destroyed at a shocking rate.

In 2020 alone, the Amazon rainforest lost an area the size of Israel, an estimated 5 million acres. Natural ecosystems and habitats over 10 million years old in the Amazon rainforest are being cleared for logging and agriculture, driven by global food industries. Though, this doesn’t have to be the case.

A change in the way we produce food

In 2019, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Land Use Report identified changing our food production practices as one of the most important steps to combating climate change and global food shortages and protecting our natural environment.

We must dramatically change the way we use land for food production.

And at Amazonia, we are.

Acai

Amazonia’s Wild-Grown Acai

Amazonia Acai is harvested from wild growing Acai trees in the swamplands of the Amazon rainforest. It is hand collected by thousands of local families, providing local economic and environmental benefit. Acai grows on millions of acres in the Amazon basin. It does not require cultivation as it grows naturally wild and in abundance. This provides a sustainable business opportunity for local families to collect the berries while creating a system to incentivise the preservation of local habitat. Known as wild Acai agroforestry, this process provides a unique opportunity to benefit both the local economy and the environment at once.

Unlike other Acai producers, Amazonia Acai is not reconstituted after processing. Our natural Acai is extracted at the source, using only fresh Acai berries — the key to Amazonia’s unique flavour and nutrient-rich Acai. Find out more about how Amazonia Acai is harvested and extracted with sustainable practices.

Preservation of coconut trees in Vietnam

In Vietnam, coconuts provide food, hydration, building material and an opportunity for income. Through tree-orientated agroforestry, Amazonia supports local communities to keep coconut trees standing, purchasing coconuts directly from the source. Amazonia’s Coconut helps support agroforestry practices in Vietnam by helping communities preserve their natural ecosystems and keep coconut trees standing.

Agroforestry systems allow farmers to implement practices that provide economic benefit while preserving the soil and ecosystem health, creating sustainable practices that can be continued for years. Agroforestry systems can improve soil health by increasing soil nutrient input, recycling nutrients through soil layers and preventing erosion.

Organic Pitaya Farming

Commonly known as red dragonfruit, Pitaya is a natural, nutrient-dense superfood. The Pitaya industry has shaped a large community in Vietnam, offering a unique opportunity for organic farmers to cultivate crops in semi-arid landscapes unsuitable for other farming activities. Discover how organic Pitaya farming in Vietnam is providing an opportunity for organic farmers to transform local landscapes to generate healthy soil and make a living by growing this superfood. Organic farming is a crucial practice to avoid toxins, ensure high nutrient density in the fruit, and preserve local ecosystems. Amazonia’s Pitaya is sourced from organic farms through sustainable practices.

From paddock to plate: the Amazonia Promise

We know we have a great responsibility to bring healthy and nutrient-rich foods to global communities while making positive and ethical change through business. From the Amazon rainforest where our Acai grows wild, to the farms of Vietnam where organic Pitaya is offering a healthy and sustainable future for farming families, to the coconut trees central to many Vietnamese practices, we strive to ensure our processes and choices are made to build a brighter future for all.

How to support sustainable food production

When you’re shopping, there are a few simple things you can do to make choices that support sustainable practices. Look for these symbols; Australian Certified Organic, Heavy Metal Tested, and Non-synthetic.

Australian Certified Organic is Australia’s largest certifier for organic and biodynamic produce. To be certified, you must ensure compliance with national and international standards, including tracing back to product origins. We are proud to be Australian Certified Organic, committing to organic and sustainable practices through all avenues of our business.

We ensure our foods have no lab-derived synthetics and no traces of sprays, and we commit to ensuring the soil and growing conditions of our foods are not compromised. Through our paddock to plate promise, we ensure the health of our products and the sustainability of the communities producing and harvesting fruits for Amazonia products.

Why? Because with every mouthful of an Amazonia superfood, you know you’re a part of protecting something bigger.

 

References

https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/key-takeaways-from-the-ipcc-special-report-on-climate-change-and-land/

https://maaproject.org/2021/amazon-hotspots-2020/