Honouring Passion, Dedication & Commitment - A Decade of Proforest in Brazil

This month we gathered to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Proforest in Brazil. A decade ago we established ourselves as a “Knowledge Hub” for the beef and soy supply chains in Latin America. Our journey with the mission of supporting the responsible sourcing and production of agricultural commodities that deliver positive impacts for people, nature and climate had begun. 

The work we do at Proforest can be defined as a complex web of supporting companies, collaborating effectively, engaging in landscape initiatives, and developing knowledge and capacity building. And these interconnecting strands form our Proforest ecosystem fuelled by the passion, dedication and commitment of each and every person who has passed through Proforest in Brazil. We are thankful for all the past and current Proforesters, especially those who have been along this journey from the start. 

And it wouldn't be a Proforest celebration without a party to match! With an eclectic musical programme played live by Proforesters and people important to us, we celebrated in style! We had fun with the Time Gallery - an exhibition of milestone photos that recalled stories and colleagues. We added to the exhibition with Polaroid photos that captured candid moments on the spot. We reminisced about our challenges and successes. We projected our wishes for the future onto a Wish Board that was filled with post-it notes throughout the day. We ate and drank well, danced, sang and, most importantly, honoured and celebrated the team that makes it all possible. 

Today, we already support more than 143 projects in the responsible sourcing and production of soy, beef and sugar. We are developing and implementing a Human Rights Due Diligence toolkit in the sugar supply chain with the potential to scale up. We are mediating collaboration between governments, companies, local communities, Indigenous Peoples and NGOs on landscape initiatives and sector projects. We will continue to develop our mission for many years to come, with the reminder that the seeds we plant today will be the fruits we reap in the future.