Pará

06/11/24

The Vale Foundation received a notable recognition from the Brazilian Association of Human Resources (ABRH) with its Inova Up program, winning 2^nd national place in the 2024 Human Being Award in the ESG category. This award highlights initiatives that balance the interests of people, organizations, and society, achieving meaningful results that serve as a benchmark in the market. 

“Inova Up has inspired young people from the Amazon region, especially southeastern Pará, to think about solutions for the challenges in their communities. In addition to fostering innovation, our goal was to broaden opportunities for employment and income, which are essential for the social and environmental development of the participating municipalities. More than a thousand young people joined the program, and through it, we’ve supported some businesses that truly inspire us: chocolate made from Amazonian cacao, bio-jewelry crafted with Amazonian seeds, which are now sold in some European countries, among others”, highlights Pâmella De-Cnop, executive director of the Vale Foundation.

Implemented in Canaã dos Carajás, Marabá, and Parauapebas, in the state of Pará, the Inova Up program trained young entrepreneurs to develop startups and businesses focused on sustainability, leveraging local skills and preserving natural resources. The ventures supported by the Inova Up program received guidance and technical assistance in areas such as Marketing, Sales, Production, Management, Legal Affairs, and Accounting, along with direct investment (seed money) to boost their growth. 

The Inova Up program was concluded in 2023, after successfully structuring nine startups, with the Amazon Entrepreneurship Center as the executing partner and Wheaton Precious Metals as the investment partner. 

Startups created and empowered by Inova Up

Canaã dos Carajás

– Eco Canaã Biojóias: produces bio-jewelry and handcrafted items inspired by the region’s culture and diversity.

– Flor de Castanheira: extracts vegetable milk from Brazil nuts and babassu coconuts, producing vegan cookies with no animal protein.

– Cacau Carajás: engages in cacao production and processing, promoting high-quality cacao culture for fine chocolate production.

Marabá

– Rede Viva Biofertilizantes: offers a collection, disposal, and treatment service for organic solid waste from commercial establishments, producing organic compost for local gardening and agriculture.

– Treinamentus: a marketplace-based educational platform that creates content for higher education, providing knowledge exchange and professional networking among students and teachers.

– Na Flora – Flores da Amazônia: produces and sells Amazonian ornamental plants, and repurposed and recycled pots and accessories.

Parauapebas

– Kupu: produces and sells vegan and lactose-free ice cream. 

– Dinam – Diamante Negro da Amazônia: a pioneering company in sustainable production and processing of black pepper in the region.

– Alosix: an affordable, nationwide agronomic calculation and soil analysis platform.