For the past decade, BVRio has worked with social inclusion as a core value. This case study shows the impact of our initiatives on the role of women in the sectors we focus on.

Anniversary Project Case Study: Development of the Brazilian timber Due Diligence tool for timber importers

10th Anniversary Project Case Study: Promoting legal tropical timber trade moving the focus to protect overused species in Ghana

10th Anniversary Project Case Study: Reverse Logistics Credits – A social and environmental innovation to address urban waste and recycling.

Iara Meiri de Melo Moura Silva, 40, a mother of two, began working in the recycling market over 20 years ago with her mother, who came to Rio de Janeiro from the North East aged 17 years old. Iara is one of the female leaders in waste picker cooperatives in the State of Rio de Janeiro, in the Beija Flor Cooperative. Behind her love for her profession, Iara talks about the welcoming and learning space that exists in the cooperatives.

The recycling market in Rio de Janeiro is not for “amateurs”. And those in charge of the management of many of the existing cooperatives are female entrepreneurs. In the context of the covid pandemic, in particular, it is necessary to adapt, try out new processes, and take risks to generate more business. Read below one more story of our series of inspiring women who fight for the valorisation of the environmental services provided by waste collectors.

There are over 50,000 species of timber in the world, but only a small fraction is widely used commercially. This, however, does not mean that the rest of the species are unsuitable for a variety of commercial uses. There under-utilised species are known as Lesser-Known and Lesser-Used Timber Species (LKTS) and can often substitute more popular species in terms of performance and aesthetics, and cost-effectiveness. This makes choosing LKTS a good business decision, which also has the potential to improve livelihoods and protect biodiversity.

In collaboration with Ghana Forestry Commission’s Timber Industry Development Division (TIDD), Forest Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG), Ghana Timber Millers Organization (GTMO) and the Ghana Timber Association (GTA), BVRio developed a set of communication materials that include technical information about a selection of timber species that are available to the international markets.

At the 12th BRICS Summit, held via video conference on the 17th November 2020, the Brazilian government “threatened to disclose” that “Europeans have purchased illegal timber from Brazil during 2017”. Indeed, this is true. Recent analysis by BVRio concluded that a high percentage of Brazilian hardwoods, exported to EU member states and the USA in 2016-2017, had a very high risk of illegality. The study was based on BVRio’s Timber Due Diligence systems, that uses big data analysis and satellite imagery and is able to able to identify the risk of irregularities in 99% of cases.

With over 65% of the Republic of Congo covered by forest – an area almost the size of the United Kingdom - it is vitally important that sustainable forest management practices take place in the country, both to improve livelihoods and protect the forest. The main legislation to do this is the country’s Forest Code; in July 2020, a new version of the code received presidential approval after eight years of revision. This is an important milestone towards a more sustainable and inclusive forestry and timber sector.