To transform local family farming, the Hydro Sustainability Fund develops several projects in the municipality of Barcarena, including Tipitix – Community Agro-Food Entrepreneurship, in partnership with Mitsui Bussan Foundation of Brazil and Peabiru Institute. At the current stage of the project, part of the developed products is already in the commercialization phase and new products are being launched on the market as a result of the 2nd Business Development Cycle. These products were presented on May 5th, in Belém, during the 1st Business Round. Among these new products are açaí and muruci jellies, toppings for açaí, taperebá and cupuaçu ice cream, cassava cheese bread, and many others, benefiting communities to develop around 20 agri-food businesses and 34 products, 14 of which were launched in 2021, and another 20 now in 2022.

“This meeting was the moment to present the result of this second cycle and of all the benefits that these farmers received for large local entrepreneurs. The expectation from now on for new business and expansion of commercialization is very good”, says Eduardo Figueiredo, executive director of the Hydro Sustainability Fund.

Tipitix serves around 200 family farmers, producers of cassava and its derivatives, in addition to fruits, vegetables, vegetables and various other products from more than 20 rural communities in Barcarena (PA). Among these communities is Cupuaçu, located 143 km from the capital, where farmer Rosa Queiroz learned from past generations how to produce manioc flour. This knowledge has been improved with the support of the Tipitix project, which offers technical assistance for the development of products, infrastructure for the improvement of production; in addition to support in design, credit and commercial advice for the insertion of products in the market. The project also offers administrative and accounting support for the procedures related to the formalization and management of the participating enterprises. “We are very grateful, because Tipitix's support was fundamental in the development of our products, which now have a much greater visibility”, says another farmer, Elias Bezerra, responsible for banana chips.

Since the first cycle was launched in March 2021, about a ton of products benefited from cassava have been produced, such as coarse cassava flour, tapioca flour, seasoned crumbs, cheese bread, tucupi, brazilian brigadeiro and cassava vacuum packed. 300 kilos of products such as vacuum pumpkin, jellies, toppings, ice cream, chocolates and processed leaves were also benefited.

About the Hydro Sustainability Fund - The Fund was created by Hydro, Alunorte and Albras to manage the financial investment, based on the guidelines and priorities defined within the scope of the Sustainable Barcarena Initiative (IBS, in portuguese). The Fund is the result of the investment commitment of R$ 100 million, over a period of ten years, assumed by the companies in April 2018.