Attracting private investment is key to ensuring that Mato Grosso will be able to achieve the goals set out in the Produce, Conserve, and Include Strategy. At the same time, it represents an opportunity for companies to support territorial approach models with greater security and generation of sustainable commodities at scale.
In September 2018, the Corporate Action Group was launched with the purpose of promoting this interface, three main objectives of which are: to be an enabling environment for companies to engage in projects and initiatives to support PCI goals; to promote the alignment of corporate commitments with a jurisdictional approach in Mato Grosso; and to create a channel for companies to provide feedback on PCI strategy from a corporate perspective.
On September 11th, a virtual meeting was held to promote the group’s updates, and Mauren Lazzaretti, the Mato Grosso State Environment Secretary, also attended the meeting. She spoke about the strategies adopted by the management to promote actions in line with PCI, giving details about CAR, environmental licensing, monitoring, and inspection. “The State of Mato Grosso remains strong in its project, which is translated into the PCI Strategy, whose goals are reflected in the actions of the Secretary”, Lazzaretti stressed.
The executive director of the PCI Institute, Fernando Sampaio, pointed out that “the Institute has an action plan and an agenda of investments that represent real opportunities from the PCI Strategy, with organizations that already actively support the implementation of goals and the governance structure”.
According to Marcela Paranhos, Investment Manager of IDH in Brazil, “the investment opportunities in the State of Mato Grosso, stemming from the PCI Strategy represent an investment agenda in sustainable development and green recovery of the Brazilian economy. And the private sector has an essential role in making these investments feasible and effective. ”
The IDH Brazil Executive Director & Latam Landscapes Program Director, Daniela Mariuzzo, reiterated the invitation for companies to contact them individually to understand how they can participate. “Sometimes companies think we’ll ask for help, but in fact, this is a two-way street. Many solutions that are bottlenecks for business, are already in place at PCI”, she explained.
The distinctive aspect of the jurisdictional approach was defended by Fabíola Zerbini, director of Latin America for the Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA). “Jurisdiction comes to convey a message of integration: chain, public, private, government, and community for the intelligent use of the territory.
During the meeting, companies that were pioneers in supporting PCI, also shared their experiences.
“Mato Grosso is central to our strategy and the more we see the state developing, we have no doubt that it is beneficial for our business not only in the current moment but on a permanent basis”, pointed out Juliana Lopes, Sustainability director at AMAGGI.
“We have just launched a chain control plan, the whole vision of which is based on Produce, Conserve and Include,” said Leonel Almeida, Sustainability manager at Marfrig.
“For us, it is important to ensure transparency, an inclusive territorial approach, and collaborative production chains. That is why PCI is a perfect platform for action”, said Nicoletta Pavese, from The World Business Council for Sustainable Development WBCSD, and Felipe Sudré, from Bunge, which are part of the Soft Commodities Forum (SCF), a global platform for commodity companies, aimed at promoting collective actions around common global sustainability challenges.
The Corporate Action Group is led by Environmental Defence Fund (EDF). This discussion forum is under the scope of the Investment Committee of the PCI Institute, coordinated by the Investment Manager of IDH in Brazil, Marcela Paranhos.