Co-designing the ALIADOS Center for Bioeconomy in the Amazon
“The diversity of ventures is incredible. Together, in coalition, we can build commercial partnerships and grow together.” Luis Poveda, Asociación Kury Waska
ALIADOS is embarking on a new path! With support from the IBD Lab, we are creating the Center for Innovation and Investment for Bioeconomy and Regenerative Agriculture in the Amazon.
In 2023, we kicked off design activities for the Center. The ALIADOS team had many ideas, but we also knew we needed to design the Center together with our community partners. ALIADOS invited eleven indigenous and local organizations committed to regenerative agriculture to form part of a Co-design Committee. The Co-design Committee included Ally Guayusa, ASOSUMACO, Sacha Laran, Asacapum, Witoca, APROIN, HASA, Ruku Kawsay, Kuri Waska, Canopy Bridge, and Sumak Yaku. ALIADOS and the Co-design Committee met in Tena for four days in November. We worked closely in carefully facilitated spaces to decide what the Center does and how it does it.
There was an enthusiastic response to the Center’s integrated approach of providing Members with crucial technical services that are difficult to obtain for many small businesses, including agronomists, food production and processing, sales and marketing, financial management, legal, and M&E. Alongside technical support, the co-design committee approved the structure of the ALIADOS Center blended investment fund, which offers Members a mix of financing options tailored for early-stage businesses in the Amazon, including grants, refundable grants, and a working capital fund. The Center also connects more advanced Members to impact funds that can provide patient, flexible capital.
The Co-design committee reaffirmed the mission of the Center: to support the creation and strengthening of Amazonian businesses - that are an integral part of and are guardians of the forest and its diversity - by providing tools to enhance a bioeconomy based on the chakra farming system, cultural rejuvenation and care for Mother Earth. The Vision of the Center is that The Amazon is a global center for agrobiodiversity, led by indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses, always towards “Sumak Kawsay.”
On the final day, we created draft governance mechanisms for the Center based on clear rights and responsibilities, transparency, and accountability, and all 11 participants of the co-design committee graduated to become Members of the Center, with the right to benefit in 2024!
This event was indeed a transformative moment for ALIADOS. We left with a sense of unity and shared commitment with our indigenous partners that we are working in alliance, and in the coalition, we are stronger and can achieve more! ALIADOS and the Members of the Center will meet again in February to create work plans and budgets to pitch to the Center for technical and financial support. We will keep you updated with news here!
