At a Glance
Location: Porto Alegre, Brazil
Impact Areas: Rural Development, Sustainable Agriculture and Income
People Supported:
Smallholder Farmers
Joined NESsT Portfolio:
2022
Overview
As consumer demand for safer and more sustainable foods grows in Brazil, many agroindustry companies and cooperatives have begun to look for digitised solutions that can better monitor, manage and certify their products. Elysios is an agrotechnology company that seeks to ensure that family farmers – those who are responsible for producing the majority of the nation’s food – have access to the necessary technological tools and assistance they need to produce quality products in a sustainable manner.
To improve the digital inclusion of rural farmers, the enterprise developed web and mobile apps that can improve the planning and documentation of agricultural activities, forecast local climate conditions, and provide information on regulations and certifications. For agroindustry cooperatives, Elysios offers digital solutions that enable them to access information directly from their suppliers, further driving supply chain transparency. The enterprise’s digital solutions also simplifies the registration of protected and legal reserves and incentivizes sustainable soil management.
Today, Elysios is improving the livelihoods of more than 2,200 farmers, the majority of whom are marginalized low-income family farmers between the ages of 40 to 60; these family farmers are in diverse value chains, including grapes, apples, bananas, guarana, and cocoa.
By offering tailored technological training focusing on agricultural management, traceability, and regulation compliance, Elysios helps these farmers to increase crop yield and obtain proper certifications for their products, which will help them to access higher prices. In addition, enhanced traceability and increased farming efficiency has enabled Elysios farmers to reduce their water usage of up to 50% and eliminated the need for pesticides use.
Results & Impact
2,200
farmers supported
18
Brazilian states reached
20
agroindustries using its services
“Elysios is very excited about the investment and partnership with NESsT. The due diligence process has already been a learning experience and we understand that in addition to the financial benefits, we have a great partner to assist us with governance and relationship with stakeholders. Through the partnership, we also want to enhance our impact on the agriculture sector in the Amazon. ”
NESsT Investment
NESsT’s investment will support Elysios to improve its agricultural monitoring and field note apps, making them easier to navigate for farmers who lack access to technical education and are located in areas with poor internet connectivity. NESsT will also support Elysios to add information about obtaining certifications that can help farmers to reach new, high-value markets.
Elysios’ main social impact goals include improving gender equity in its workforce and increasing the salary and benefits of employees. To conserve the environment, the Brazilian enterprise will monitor key indicators on its platform, such as deforested area growth, estimated CO2 emission, and plantation production compliance, among others. NESsT will support Elysios with its impact measurement tools to develop strategies that advance these objectives.
