Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Investors Itaú, Marfrig, Rabobank, Santander, Suzano, and Vale have backed Biomas, an ecosystem restoration company, which in April unveiled its first ecological restoration project. 1,200 hectares of Atlantic Forest will be restored as part of the project on property owned by Veracel Celulose, a forestry-based business that has been active in the South of Bahia for more than 30 years. As part of the restoration project, over 70 native plants will be planted. The expected amount of the initial investment is USD 9.3 million.
Biomas was established at the end of 2022 and is a component of a new and developing economic sector in Brazil that can help with the climate and biodiversity issues while also generating revenue and jobs. To repair 2 million hectares of damaged or unproductive land over the next 20 years is the wider objective of the Muçununga Project, which takes its name from the distinctive ecology that exists exclusively in this Atlantic Forest region. The company’s economic model is centered on using carbon credits produced in the restored regions to finance restoration, given that forests absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It is anticipated that the project will produce roughly 500,000 carbon credits over 40 years. The removal of one metric ton of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is represented by each carbon credit.
“Our business is not just planting trees and selling carbon. Carbon is a means to finance the restoration, but not the end goal,” notes Fabio Sakamoto, CEO of Biomas. “Ecological restoration generates multiple benefits, such as improved soil and water quality, biodiversity protection and restoration, and climate regulation,” he adds. Among other social benefits, the effort is anticipated to generate employment and income opportunities in the area.
“Brazil is the country with the most potential to remove carbon from the atmosphere using nature-based solutions. In addition to the expertise and large-scale forestry companies, Brazil has a large amount of land that can be restored without interfering with other productive activities,” comments Sakamoto. Brazil’s degraded pastureland has surpassed 100 million hectares, according to a 2024 research by The Nature Conservancy (TNC), WWF, and Boston Consulting Group (BCG). This land area is equal to the combined landmass of Spain and France.
The Muçununga Project
The Hileia Bahia, which is part of the Central Atlantic Forest Corridor—one of the planet’s most biodiverse regions—is home to Biomas’ first project, Project Muçununga. The Atlantic Forest is the Brazilian biome that has undergone the most changes over the past few centuries, with only 26.2% of the original, natural vegetation still present in the area, according to data from MapBiomas. Eight municipalities in southern Bahia include the Veracel-owned areas that Biomas will repair.
“This partnership with Biomas reinforces Veracel’s commitment to environmental conservation and sustainable development in the areas we operate in. It’s much more than just shared action, we are contributing our solid track that positions us as a reference in ecological restoration and biodiversity protection initiatives in the Atlantic Forest of southern Bahia. By allocating our areas for restoration with native species, we reaffirm our role as protagonists in promoting nature-based solutions and preserving essential ecosystems,” states Caio Zanardo, CEO of Veracel.
One hectare of Atlantic Forest is planted for every hectare of eucalyptus planted for pulp manufacturing by Veracel, a firm that manages its eucalyptus forests sustainably. The business, which specializes in ecological restoration, backs initiatives to conserve biodiversity and maintain regional ecosystems.
Biomas plans to plant 2 million seedlings in the project area over the course of the following two years. Over 70 native species, including araçá, copaíba, guapuruvu, ipê-amarelo, jacarandá-da-bahia, and jatobá, will be planted, making their high diversity a crucial differentiator. This plant type increases the project’s worth and guarantees the restoration of the natural ecosystem.
Just 1% of native plant life restoration initiatives worldwide use more than ten plant species, according to data from MSCI Carbon Markets. The project will produce high-quality, premium carbon credits with a higher market value by encouraging biodiversity and social impact while concentrating entirely on the restoration of native plants. In order to ensure the production of high-quality carbon credits, the company last year established a new cooperation with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank’s private investment arm, to enhance the procedures and metrics of forest restoration projects.
“We are pleased to share IFC’s global expertise in social, environmental, biodiversity, and governance indicators with Biomas,” shares Raphael Eskinazi, Regional Manager at IFC. “This partnership also offers us a valuable opportunity to deepen our understanding of the specifics of the ecosystem restoration market,” Eskinszi adds. Project Muçununga will aim to meet the highest standards possible to guarantee observable advantages for biodiversity, local populations, and the climate.
Read more news on: ecosystem, pulp, sustainable forest, forestry
Get such updates through the European woodworking industry website: woodandpanel.com
Tags: #1 wood news, #1 woodworking magazine, best American forestry news, best wood magazine, best wood news, Biomas company, Biomas news, Brazilian forestry, climate and biodiversity, ecology, ecosystem restoration, ecosystems, Forestry 4.0, pulp manufacturing, sustainable forestry, wood, wood and panel, woodworking, woodworking and manufacturing, woodworking industry, woodworking USA
