Market roundup: It’s time to put some serious money into the Amazon

Investors, it’s time to put some serious money into businesses from the Amazon

Next week, on November 29 and 30, Manaus will host the second edition of Fiinsa, a festival of impact investment and sustainable businesses in the Amazon rainforest. The event is put together by numerous organizations that want to demonstrate the real opportunities for businesses with impact in the region.

Why it matters. While much is said about record deforestation and the need to preserve the largest tropical rainforest in the world, little has been done to change the perverse economy behind the destruction of this biome. 

• Experts and local leaders believe that a business-oriented approach aimed at bringing the new economy to the rainforest might actually speed things up.
• This wouldn’t just mean more money, but also investment in local entrepreneurs that can generate long-term returns and impact beyond simply keeping trees from being felled.

Who is behind the event? There is a long list of actors involved. Fiinsa is directly promoted by the Institute for Conservation and Sustainable Development of the Amazon (Idesam) and the innovation platform Impact HUB Manaus and co-organized by the accelerator Amaz. 

• The list of organizers also includes the Priority Program of Bioeconomy (PPBio), the Sustainable Amazon Foundation (FAS) and a network of experts and institutions called “A Concertation for the Amazon.”

Who will be there? The 500-plus confirmed participants from almost 100 different organizations include:

• National and international...