New multi-country initiative to support 100 community-led biobusinesses, conserve +400,000 hectares, and boost income for +8,000 families.
Lima, Peru—(June 18, 2025 / Originally published in Spanish to BUSINESS WIRE)— NESsT announces today that it has joined the Sustainable Connections Institute (Conexsus), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in AmazonBeEco, an unprecedented four-year initiative to support the sociobioeconomy in the Pan-Amazon region. The goal of AmazonBeEco is to increase the income of community enterprises through business technical assistance, innovation and technology, market access, and financing, with a particular focus on community enterprises led by Indigenous peoples, traditional communities, and smallholder farmers. The project, funded by IDB and GCF, aims to benefit up to 8,000 families, sustainably manage 400,000 hectares of land, and increase the annual income of supported communities by up to 30%.
AmazonBeEco spans Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname and will engage over 8,000 families in sustainable, income-generating activities that offer viable alternatives to extractive industries.
As part of the effort, NESsT will lead implementation in Peru, providing technical assistance, business development support, and access to capital for 25 high-potential sociobioeconomy businesses.
“Our partnership with Conexsus, IDB, and GCF is a strategic next step in scaling the NESsT Amazonia Initiative that we began in 2021,” said Chad Sachs, CEO at NESsT. “Together, we’re investing in the region’s potential to shape a bioeconomy that’s both ecologically sustainable and economically inclusive.”
NESsT’s efforts will be implemented alongside key regional partners including IC Fundación (Colombia), Fundación Los Aliados (Ecuador), the Amazon Conservation Team (Suriname), and the National Coordinating Coalition (Guyana).
For more information about NESsT and its mission to support entrepreneurs and communities in the Amazon region, visit www.nesst.org/amazonia.
About the Sociobioeconomy
The alternative model known as the sociobioeconomy involves promoting sustainable value chains based on forest and biodiversity conservation, and emphasizes biodiversity-friendly practices, such as valuing traditional knowledge, agroforestry systems, and small-scale agriculture. Activities are carried out by smallholder farmers, traditional and Indigenous communities, often organized in cooperatives or associations — what we call community enterprises — with a strong focus on traditional knowledge and the equitable sharing of benefits for both communities and the environment.
About NESsT
NESsT invests in enterprises that create quality jobs for underserved communities while sustaining the planet. Since its founding in 1997, NESsT has invested over $41M and trained and supported over 37,000 entrepreneurs across 50 countries. It has accelerated and financed more than 300 enterprises, in total sustaining more than 129,000 formal jobs and improving the lives of 3.4 million people from under-represented communities around the world.
About Conexsus
The Sustainable Connections Institute (Conexsus) works to connect community enterprises to markets — whether local, regional, national, or international — by providing access to tailored financial investments that support the structuring of commercial arrangements and enable operations.
Contacts
Michele Crater Aguilar
Communications Manager, NESsT Global