AIV Renews Strategic Partnership with Eco-Ola for Sustainable Macambo Bean Growth

Friday, 30th May 2025

By Paula Perrelli dos Anjos

Amazonia Impact Ventures (AIV) announces the renewal of the loan agreement with Eco-Ola, an ethical enterprise dedicated to the supply chain of Macambo beans, and various other Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) within the local communities of San Martin, in northern Peru.

Eco-Ola has partnered with AIV for several years, and this marks the fourth loan arranged together.

According to William Park, the 2025 macambo production is expected to be 20% larger than last year. “As the first company to export macambo, we've grown significantly from our initial shipments of a couple of hundred kilos to now shipping containers,” celebrates Eco-Ola’s CEO.

The produce is set to be retailed by Imla’kesh, a US-based buyer and one of the few companies worldwide that offers this extraordinary Amazonian fruit to the public. Eco-ola collaborates with 220 farmers, many of whom are women. The harvesting, processing, and selling of macambo contribute to the economic resilience of these families, some consisting of up to 10 people. 

Besides, farmers have the opportunity to introduce complementary crops into their land, potentially generating supplementary income while encouraging biodiversity, thanks to the tall macambo trees that provide vital shade for smaller species such as cacao.

The partnership with AIV not only boosts the livelihoods of these local communities but also plays an integral role in rainforest conservation. As part of its impact goals, Eco-Ola has successfully planted 3,500 macambo trees through the AIV incentive, thereby supporting a species that remains scarce in the Amazon. Although its close cousin (cacao) is widely cultivated, macambo is grown by only a handful of households across limited regions of the rainforest.

Macambo Beans

Known as the “brain bean”, macambo has a distinctly lighter and larger appearance than cacao. Macambo is wild-harvested from native canopy trees and is rich in antioxidants. It's typically eaten after being peeled while wet and then sun-dried.

A handful of macambo beans provides 10% of the recommended adult daily consumption of protein. In addition to its nutritional benefits, macambo is a vital example of a native NTFP and plays a crucial role in diversified agroforestry systems.

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Learn more about the work of our partner Eco-Ola here:

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