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Vale employee smiling in green landscape. She is wearing a green Vale
uniform, goggles, helmet and ear plugs. Visual wave artifact Vale

For almost 40 years, acting together with the local communities, specialists, scientists and many other organizations and people, we have being working towards a commitment that belongs to all of us: conserve the Amazon Region, one of the main biomes of the planet. 

We are helping to protect and conserve around 800-thousand-hectares of natural environments in the Mosaic of Carajás, in the state of Pará, in partnership with ICMBio. Our partnerships strive to contribute with the protection of nature, the progress of bio-economy, science and culture, giving due value to traditional knowledge and encouraging development and a dignified life for all. 

Around 60% of Vale’s iron ore production is originated in this region. Despite the volume, the company’s operations cover approx. 2% of this area, proving that it is possible to match commercial production with environmental protection. 

Somos agora o BioParque Vale Amazônia.
 

BioParque Vale Amazônia 

Located in the National Forest of Carajás, in the state of Pará, the BioParque Vale Amazônia is a reference concerning the task of protecting the species and promoting knowledge. Created in 1985, the space counts with 30 hectares of native forest, therefore allowing the free circulation of the species of birds, cutias and monkeys in the visitation areas. 

Click here and learn more 


With the Biodiversity Management Plan of Carajás, Vale demonstrates its commitment with the management of Biodiversity in its operations. The document is alive and describes the company’s actions to prevent, mitigate, restore and compensate the possible impacts of the operations. We go further, contributing with the conservation of fauna and flora in the Mosaic of Carajás and with its ecosystem services, which are fundamental for the life of people and the future generations.​ 
Inside a laboratory or in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest, researchers of the Vale Institute of Technology - Sustainable Development (ITV-DS), located in Belém/PA, pioneer the universe of science and research. Follow all this in the new stage of the series “Inside the ITV". The second season is narrated by the researchers of the Institute, who enhance to the public the importance of scientific research in projects and initiatives for the conservation of biodiversity in the Amazon Region. ​ 

 

Guardians of the Rainforest: a journey as seen by the eyes of who acts daily to keep the forest alive.

Guardians of the Rainforest: a journey as seen by the eyes of who acts daily to keep the forest alive. 

The forest creates a deep connection between flora and fauna integrated on a perfect balance. During decades, human action have unbalanced this system. Now, thousands of nature guardians act to conserve the Brazilian vegetation. Watch the series Guardians of the Rainforest.  


Click here and watch.

The Amazon Region is essential for life all around the planet. With about 28-million inhabitants in the territory, it represents approx. 13% of the Brazilian population. 

It is urgent to keep the forest standing and to value and promote sustainable development opportunities for the local population. It is also fundamental to foster bio-economy and create a business environment favorable for the conservation and valuation of the native forests.​

Conservation Units 

 

The Chico Mendes Institute of Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) and Vale are working for the conservation of the largest area of continuous forest in the southern and southeastern regions of Pará. 

The importance of this partnership can be evidenced in the animation at the side, which highlights the evolution of the use and occupation of the soil and demonstrates that the landscape of the forest areas in the region is restricted to the conservation units where Vale is acting together with the environmental entity and the indigenous land. 

The conservation of this space contributes with the fight against global warming, because the forest carbon inventory is maintained, preventing the emission of greenhouse effect gases that cause deforesting and forest degradation. 

Essas unidades de conservação integram uma área de mais de 1 milhão de hectares de floresta que
a Vale protege, ajuda a proteger e a manter em parceria, o que representa um estoque de carbono
de aproximadamente 600 milhões de toneladas de CO2e.

 Partnerships and Investments 

 

In the last decade, by means of Vale Fund, the company has supported more than 100 initiatives from research institutes, governments, NGOs and startups, benefitting 29-thousand rural producer families and extractivists. Conducted by Vale Foundation, investments were directed to social projects in Pará and Maranhão, in the areas of health, education, culture and generation of income. And, with Vale Institute of Technology, the company has invested on research in areas as biodiversity, study of the genome of species and climate change. 

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 Vale Fund in the Amazon Region  

After acting for 14 years on the biome, Vale Fund became a channel for the company’s voluntary investment, performing the mission of leveraging solutions with positive social and environmental impact that strengthen a sustainable, fair and inclusive economy. Along its path, it has built a network of partnerships with more than 80 institutions, has fostered around 100 projects with contributions reaching about R$ 270-million.​ 

 Vale Fund in the last decade 


Supported over 100 social and environmental projects. 


Incremented 200 businesses with positive social and environmental impact with the help of partner organizations.


Benefitted 29-thousand people: rural producers, extractivists and their families.


Fighting deforestation 

 

Vale Fund, together with Microsoft and the Amazon Institute of People and the Environment (Imazon), supported the development of the tool PrevisiA, launched in June 2021, which anticipates information concerning regions with higher risk of deforestation and fire in the Amazon Region, with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).​ 

PrevisiA analyzes different data, as topography, soil coverage, urban infrastructure, official and non-official roads and social and economic data to identify possible trends for the conversion of the forest due to deforestation. The information is published with free access. Additionally, any organization of the society or public entity can use the tool for the purpose of planning and taking preventive actions intended to fight and control deforestation.​ 

To learn more about PrevisiA click on the button bellow.​ 

Want to know the Vale operations in southeastern Pará? 


You are invited for a virtual visit and get a closer view of how we act as a responsible mining company in the Amazon Region. 
 

Horizontes Project 

 

Signed between ICMBio and Vale, the Horizontes Project contributes to increment the recovery of areas around the conservation units already protected in the Carajás Region.​ 

Through the implementation of farming and forestry systems, which combine the plantation of agricultural species with tree species, ecological corridors intended to protect the soil will be formed, which will favor soil protection, the generation of income and the conservation of rivers, thus contributing to fight greenhouse effect gases. The agreement between Vale and ICMBio was signed in 2020. 

To make the Horizontes project a reality, Vale activities are based on five interconnected sub-projects: 


Environmental licensing 


The increase in knowledge concerning environmental licensing will bring agility, assertiveness and effectiveness to specific conditions. 

 

Diversification of soil usage 


Expansion of the region’s economic mix, with focus on farming and forestry and farming and extractivist activities. This will generate income to small farmers with the combined planting of agricultural cultures with forests, for example. 

 

Conservation of water resources 


To work with the Itacaúnas River Basin, the principal of the region, it is important to deal with the several kinds of soil usage in a sustainable way. 

 

Land regularization 


It is necessary to manage the soil usage to solve possible restrictions regarding the occupation of areas. 

 

Biodiversity monitoring 


Consists of the increase in knowledge about Conservation Units, encouraging the generation of research. 

Learn about other initiatives in the region 

  • A Vale produz na região aproximadamente 60% de todo o seu minério de ferro, mas, apesar do volume, as operações da empresa ocupam cerca de 2% da área. Trata-se de um exemplo de conciliação entre conservação responsável e produção - um equilíbrio só possível por conta de investimentos em tecnologia;
     
  • Na última década, investimos na Amazônia mais de R$1 bilhão em ações de proteção, pesquisa, desenvolvimento territorial e incentivo à cultura, dos quais cerca de R$ 910 milhões foram voluntários.;
     
  • Mantemos em Belém o Instituto Tecnológico Vale – Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ITV-DS), que é referência em análises moleculares da biodiversidade. Em cinco anos, o ITV-DS produziu 12 mil marcadores genéticos da fauna e flora da Amazônia.​

Além dos investimentos em programas de conservação e manejo sustentável na região amazônica, a Vale também tem dedicado recursos e ações ao desenvolvimento de projetos sociais que visam melhorar a qualidade de vida das comunidades que compartilham esse ecossistema. 

Conheça algumas iniciativas que vêm contribuindo para a conservação ambiental e desenvolvimento de comunidades autônomas na região.

 
On September 5, 2020, Day of the Amazon Region, Vale disclosed a  positioning on which the company reaffirms its commitment to push forward sustainable development in the region. Check!  

 

Why without forest there is no future for the planet.  

The Amazon Region shelters 50% of the world’s tropical forests, the largest watershed, one fifth of the fresh water, 400-billion trees, 20% of the diversity of species on Earth and holds between 150 and 200-billion-tons of carbon.  

 

The future of Brazil also depends on the forest.  

Every year our forest disappears in alarming rates, as a consequence of fire, fraudulent appropriation of land and illegal extraction of wood. As a result, biodiversity is impaired. There are 25.5-million inhabitants, of these around 325-thousand indigenous persons that has been living in the Amazon Region for thousands of years.  

 

We cannot wait longer!  

It is urgent to keep our forest standing and promote sustainable development opportunities for the local population. Foster bio-economy and create a favorable business environment for the conservation and valuation of the native forests.  

 

What is Vale doing for the forest?  

We have been for more than 30 years in the Amazon Region, helping to protect, in partnership with ICMBio, around 800-thousand-hectares of forest, an area equivalent to five times the city of São Paulo, which represent an inventory of 490-million-tons of equivalent carbon.  

More than half of our iron ore production is mined there. We are one of the main sustainable development agents in the region, we generate income, thousands of employment opportunities and we keep moving an entire local supply chain.  

And we keep the forest standing, by supporting the protection of the Carajás National Forest, with its 391-thousand-hectares.  

And we are not alone.  

During the last decade, with the help of Vale Fund, we supported more than 70 initiatives from research institutes, governments, NGOs and startups for the protection of more than 23-million-hectares of forest. With Vale Foundation, we have invested on social projects in Pará and Maranhão, in the areas of health, education, culture and generation of income.  

 

And, with Vale Institute of Technology, the company has invested on research in areas as biodiversity, study of the genome of species and climate change. All these initiatives together have represented R$ 792-million in investments.  

 

We need to act now. And every day.  

That is why we reaffirm our commitment to promote sustainable development in the region:  

- Respect and promote the rights and the culture of indigenous peoples and traditional communities.  

- Support the fight against illegal deforestation and the illegal mining areas, also contributing to the territorial order and the land regularization in consolidated land.  

- Invest on renewable energies and reduce carbon emissions, with targets in line with the Paris Agreement.  

- Encourage the inclusion of forests in the carbon markets by means of REDD mechanisms and others.  

- Escalate initiatives for environmental protection and recovery that value the standing forest, expand the sequestration and inventory of carbon and assure the environmental services. And, therefore, we can advance in the establishment of our New Pact with Society.  

And, therefore, we can advance in the establishment of our New Pact with Society.  

Without the Amazon Region, there is no sustainable future.  



We are promoting the reforestation of the pasture areas we have acquired in Serra Sul, creating true ecological corridors and reestablishing the fauna and flora of the region. Since the creation of the project, 1,045-hectares were planted and 3,853 are under regeneration. 


The re-vegetation process is made through the planting of native species of the Carajás Flora. The Vale Forest Nursery, in Carajás, produces around 200-thousand seedlings per year, covering an average of 120 species. 

The ITV carries out researches with emphasis on sustainable  development and mining. Among the projects, there is the Natural Capital, an initiative that deals directly with the carbon inventory in the Carajás National Forest. The researches seek to establish a relationship between the regulation of the micro-climate in the forest areas and possible implications in the case of loss of vegetation. These studies help to understand future scenarios according to the climate change, forecast the disappearance or permanence of forests and discover the types of vegetation that have originally composed a region. 

 

Vale has been acting on Culture for more than two decades and, in 2020, created the Vale Cultural Institute (ICV) - presently one of the major investors on Culture in Brazil. ​ 

Out of four of our cultural spaces, two are in the Amazon Region - the Vale Maranhão Cultural Center (MA) and the Cultural Center of Canaã dos Carajás (PA). These are cultural equipment intended to increment the access to leisure and cultural assets, providing environments for exchange, creation and formation. Exhibits, requests for proposals, shows, popular cultural presentations, scenic arts and dance shows, courses, workshops, movie shows and festivals are planned to provide rewarding experiences to all visitors. ​ 

ICV also supports projects as the Bienal das Amazônias, which united the productions of 121 artists of the pan-amazônia (greater Amazon Region), and proved to be one of the major successes of the cultural season of 2023; the audiovisual formation program Cultura na Praça, that has travelled more than 20-thousand-kilometers in this region; the video-art festival Amazonia Mapping and the Hacklab Volante project, a travelling workshop that has visited southeastern Pará inside a bus, combining a studio, art gallery, museum of gadgets and science exhibition.​ 

For more than two decades we have sponsored the Círio de Nazaré, an intangible cultural heritage of Brazil, and invested on the Vale Music Program, which has already qualified more than 5-thousand new talents for Brazil and for the world.​ 

Learn more on the website of the Vale Cultural Institute (ICV). 


 

 

The Vale Foundation develops education and health projects in partnership with 32 municipalities in the states of Pará and Maranhão. The projects pursue to expand access to quality education and health, with focus on the processes of literacy and learning in the first years of elementary education, and in strengthening of the basic health care and social assistance.​ 

 

Regarding education, the actions of active scholar search of the project “Territórios em Rede” and the project “Trilhos da Alfabetização” are worth mentioning, which intend to celebrate the culture of the territories, valuing their assets, arts and landscape, in addition to personalities that are benchmarks in the building of the identities of the states of Pará and Maranhão. ​ 

Regarding health, the project “Health Cycle Social Protection” is conducted in partnership with the municipal departments of health and social assistance, with actions that seek the improvement of the physical conditions of UBSs and CRASs, support the permanent education of the municipalities’ professionals and expand the use of technology to improve data management concerning health and social assistance. 

 

UNICEF collaborates with companies and corporate foundations, both in Brazil and globally, with the purpose of achieving Sustainable Development Goals (ODS) and support children and teenagers in their quest for maximum potential. Vale engages with the strategic partners of UNICEF to foster the implementation of the UNICEF Stamp Agenda in the Brazilian Legal Amazon Region. 

Learn more in www.unicef.org/brazil/nossos-parceiros. 

 

In the search for an answer about how to encourage the youngsters of the Legal Amazon Region states to be more critic regarding the decisions that affect the region, the Amazon Routes program was created. The public teaching networks of 8 of the 9 Amazon Region states have already entered the program: Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Pará, Roraima and Tocantins. The launching took place in Manaus (AM), in the Cultural Center of the Amazon Region people. 

The action is promoted by Instituto iungo, Instituto Reúna and Uma Concertação pela Amazônia, com investments of BNDES, Hydro Sustainability Fund, Instituto Arapyaú, Movimento Bem Maior and Vale. The initiative has an extremely high social and institutional importance, because it is connected to the global Vale goals related to the forest and the fight against extreme poverty, in addition to increment the Vale agenda of the Amazon Region Now. 

Together, the 8 states have more than 54-thousand teachers, 1-milllion students and 3-thousand High School establishments. With two supplementary fronts – teaching materials and the ongoing formation of teachers and school managers  – the Amazon Routes seeks to present, in a detailed way, themes of interest for the region. 

Learn more about the program “Amazon Routes” in https://itinerariosamazonicos.org.br/

 Learn more 


Learn more about Climate in the ESG Portal  

 


Check other Vale initiatives for biodiversity conservation 

 

Access the Vale Integrated Report