Posted in: 07/12/2023
The Agroextractivist Association Sementes da Floresta (AASFLOR) made its debut participation in the 17th edition of Naturaltech , the largest fair of organic and natural products in Latin America. The event, which took place between the 14th and 17th of June , in the capital of São Paulo, brought together businesses and brands of diverse natural products and from different locations, national and international.
Originally from Uruará , in Pará, AASFLOR has been operating since 2011 through the organization of female and male farmers from agrarian reform settlements in the region. The initiative seeks alternatives for regional socio-environmental development , which value and consider the production chain based on extractivism and the sustainable processing of non-timber forest products .
For its participation in the 17th edition of Naturaltech, the Association had the support of Synergia Socioambiental , which brought Élida Silva Moraes , associate producer of AASFLOR, and José Santiago da Silva , local producer and founder of AASFLOR, from the Amazon to São Paulo. In addition, the consultancy was responsible for redesigning the product labels and packaging – by hiring a Brand Strategic Consultancy company, which revised and standardized the materials – and for modernizing the Association’s commercial model , collaborating for the dissemination and connection with retailers in other states.
During Naturaltech, AASFLOR had a sales stand , where it was able to publicize its products , learn about new possibilities for commercial relationships and establish new partnerships. It is important to highlight that all products offered by the Association are of natural origin and produced with a focus on sustainability – that is, produced with care to keep the forest standing and use its resources in a sustainable way. This is even one of AASFLOR’s main proposals: investing in the artisanal production of items based on non-aggressive extraction from the forest and compatible with local biodiversity .
Another highlight of the fair, and of great satisfaction for AASFLOR and Synergia Socioambiental, was the receipt of the Viva Verde Seal , intended for exhibiting companies and associations that adopted actions to reduce the amount of garbage and waste generated in their stands.
For the delivery of the Viva Verde Seal , several factors were considered, such as the minimum production of garbage and waste at the stand, provision of mechanisms for collection and recycling, among others. The fair, in general, had sustainable actions, such as selective collection and waste management , environmental compensation of packaging collected at the fair and neutralization of carbon emissions, among others.
At the AASFLOR stand, in addition to the two bins for separating recyclable waste and organic waste , all product deliveries were made in paper bags . In addition, for the event, a sustainable gift option was developed for people who visited the stand, a seed pencil .
Participating in Naturaltech was one of the main reasons why AASFLOR representatives came to São Paulo. And the results can be considered very positive. In addition to sales and visibility for its products, important partnerships were signed for the Association, which can guarantee the expansion of production and product sales to reach a larger market.
For Élida Moraes, the fair was a great opportunity to add value to the products and a unique experience of exchanging with other participating companies and associations: “We had the opportunity to show our products and the work of AASFLOR to more than 40 thousand people in Brazil and the world, and also to give visibility to our products to shopkeepers, distributors and professionals in the areas of food, cosmetics and pharmacy, to know other similar brands – to learn from them too. Leaving the interior of Pará to be here in São Paulo is a very important step for us. It has been an incredible experience”, she comments.
The prospecting carried out by Synergia to find new possibilities for selling points for AASFLOR products, also outside Naturaltech, enabled, in addition to closer relations between the Association and other organizations, the partnership with 4 institutes whose proposal is the solidarity economy , hosting family farming producers , natural productions and cooperatives:
These institutes acquired AASFLOR products and will make them available to the public, favoring brand recognition in São Paulo and creating the possibility of new sales in the future of the Association.
In addition to the sales stand, Naturaltech also brought another possibility of visibility for AASFLOR, participation in the Bio Brazil Fair | Biofach Latin America . The annual meeting of the organic market – considered the largest business event in the sector in Latin America – takes place simultaneously with Naturaltech and focuses on diversity in services, food, fashion, cosmetics and organic hygiene products – all recognized and certified.
In addition, the Bio Brazil Fair | Biofach América Latina provided meetings to discuss various topics, including the panel Bioeconomy in the Amazon: Forest Inputs and Sustainable Development . With the mediation of Mário Braga , specialist in Amazonian productive chains at Synergia, the panel brought different points of view on income generation through sustainable productive activities . José Santiago da Silva, founder of AASFLOR, participated in the conversation, which also included the presence of Paula Scherer, COO of Ateha and Ekuia, Pedro Frizo, Coordinator of Social and Environmental Programs at Conexsus, and Renata Cohen Head of Strategy and Innovation at RG Think Food.
For Santiago, participation in Naturaltech and Bio Brazil Fair marks a turning point in the history of the Association : “It has been a historic moment. We have a lot to thank the people at Synergia. Since the first meeting, Synergia has supported the sustainable production chain. I did not expect this turn of events, AASFLOR exhibiting its products here at the fair. Here is a place of support, where we find shopkeepers and make this chain link in the market, which guarantees the families there on the property, collecting the seed and having sustainable food security”, he says.
Check out the panel Bioeconomy in the Amazon: Forest Inputs and Sustainable Development
During their visit to São Paulo, in addition to their participation in Naturaltech, the AASFLOR team was also received by the CEO of the Soneda Perfumaria stores and participated in the program Conecta Sustentabilidade , on Rádio Vibe Mundial FM 95.7. You can find full coverage of these events here on the website, coming soon.
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