Together We Thrive: AIV and Wyss Academy advance Brazil Nuts enterprises

7 days ago
2 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

Friday, 27 February 2026

By Paula Perrelli dos Anjos

Amazonia Impact Ventures (AIV) and the Wyss Academy for Nature have launched a new partnership to strengthen the economic resilience of three forest-based associations in Peru: RONAP, ASCART and AFIMAD. Over the course of 2026, the collaboration will help these organisations consolidate professional, sustainable business models rooted in forest management.

Wyss Academy for Nature operates across four regions worldwide: Central Europe (Bern, Switzerland), Eastern Africa (Kenya and Madagascar), Southeast Asia (Laos and Thailand), and South America, based in Tambopata, Madre de Dios, Peru. Through its hubs, the institution works globally to transform the relationship between people and nature by bridging science, action, and policy.

The collaboration focuses on Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs), particularly Brazil Nuts, locally known as Amazonian Nuts. RONAP, ASCART and AFIMAD collectively manage 160,000 hectares of nut forest, harvesting sustainably while safeguarding ancestral practices rooted in Indigenous and local heritage. By strengthening business systems and identifying investable opportunities, the partnership aims to reduce operational and financial risks across the Brazil nut export chain.

COMBINING EXPERTISES

AIV will contribute with field experience and finance expertise:

“This partnership reflects our belief that forest-based economies can be resilient when communities have access to the right type of capital, technical assistance and growth pathways. By working with them, we are committing long-term to people who have safeguarded the forest for generations,” said Aldo Soto, co-founder and Managing Director of AIV.

The Wyss Academy for Nature brings global expertise in territorial transformation, applied research and policy engagement.

“At the Wyss Academy, we are strengthening the institutional and business foundations of Brazil nut organisations so they can operate with technical excellence and long-term financial autonomy. By professionalising forest-based enterprises, we are enabling communities to secure stable livelihoods while ensuring the protection of the forest for future generations,” noted Renzo De la Peña, Program Manager of the Wyss Academy Hub South America.

Resilient communities are the foundation of resilient forests. By backing livelihoods and forest‑based economies, AIV and the Wyss Academy are demonstrating how prosperity and conservation advance together in the Amazon.

About the Associations

ASCART

Founded in 2001 by Brazil nut concessionaires inside the Tambopata National Reserve

and BahuajaSonene National Park, ASCART represents some of the oldest

forest managing families in Madre de Dios. The members protect more than 50,000

hectares of sustainably managed Brazil nut forest.

RONAP

An established partner of AIV, RONAP was established in 2004 and reunites families

dedicated to organic Brazil nut harvesting. With 69 collectors (52% women), they

sustainably manage 44,000 hectares of forest with 24,400 georeferenced trees, and

maintain forest health through biodiversity monitoring.

AFIMAD

Also part of AIV’s portfolio, AFIMAD represents more than 200 Indigenous families from

Indigenous communities (Yine, Ese Eja, Amahuaca and Shipibo) that sustainably manage 65,000 hectares of communally owned forest. The association markets Brazil nuts and huicungo products with full traceability and a strong conservation ethos.