If Imaflora’s work begins on the ground, establishing partnerships with companies, and reaching up to the level of dialogue and influence in public policy, it is because knowledge production and management form the foundation that supports it all.
Platforms such as Timberflow, which uses big data to map the Brazilian native timber market, is an example of how knowledge management is essential to working with key players in forestry and agricultural supply chains. By enabling buyers to view the likelihood of their supplier's involvement in illegal activities or dubious product origins, such tools help guide more informed and responsible purchasing decisions. In other words, it is knowledge management that makes effective action possible in curbing illegal and predatory activities within production chains.
Another example of how reliable data and knowledge can inform public policies is the Malha Fundiária (Land Ownership Map) initiative, a tool that maps and updates land ownership information across Brazil and which, in 2024, received a new edition. The study revealed that 25% of the country’s land continues unregistered under any category. This demonstrates the importance of moving forward with policies to regularise and allocate unused public areas, which are the target of misuse and illegal activities.
In 2024, Imaflora focused its efforts on consolidating and strengthening Cacuí, the institution’s Culture and Learning Hub, an innovation project launched in September 2023. Over the course of its first year, Cacuí established itself as a hub for knowledge exchange, dedicated to empowering socio-environmental leaders.
The 1st edition of the Leaders' Journey for Zero Deforestation in the Amazon by 2030 (G_DeZ) brought this vision to life. Over the course of 72 hours and 8 months, the training course was attended by 111 people centred on a single goal: zero deforestation in the Amazon by 2030. This approach focused on optimizing existing solutions while collaboratively developing new ones to address gaps in current mechanisms.
For 2025, the current geopolitical situation calls for even more action and scalability. That’s why, beyond simply carrying forward the projects started in 2024, we are dedicating the next cycle to producing, managing, and sharing knowledge that can boost and expand sustainable agricultural and forestry value chains.
