Development of local communities
Bracell believes that the development of its surrounding communities is part of its commitment to share the benefits from its activities with everyone it has a relationship with.
The company creates long-term value which is shared with its stakeholders and seeks to meet their social demands through two axis:
- Continuous communication to mitigate the impact of its operations
Bracell adopts procedures to map the communities and maintains a continuous communication with those who are impacted by forest management activities.
In order to keep its stakeholders well informed on the development of its operations, the company created the program Encontro com Comunidades (meeting with the communities). Under this program, Bracell’s professionals contact locals from the place in which the company will operate to explain all processes of the operation – such as planting, harvesting and transportation, – and to inform them about the communication channels to report questions, demands or complaints.
- Private Social Investment
Bracell develops social projects based on three pillars: Education, Empowerment and Enhancement. These pillars are based on the following premises:
- Flexibility and adaptability to different needs of stakeholders, both in Bahia and in São Paulo;
- Focus on people and on collective needs, in different cultures and realities;
- Development of cooperative and co-responsibility actions;
- Priority of projects that create shared value;
- Constant pursue to apply the concept of sustainable development throughout the entire project; and
- Obtaining of direct and indirect measurable and qualitative results.
Our goal is to strengthen the educational practices in public schools in the areas in which the company operates. We are committed to education and work to improve the most important skills of local communities, as well as to encourage citizenship and raise environmental awareness through our educational programs. Projects under this axis include:
- Continued education
- Música Escola (school of music)
- Fest in Canto (music festival for new talents)
- Environmental Education Projects (Casa da Árvore – Núcleo Ecossocial, Ecomunidade and Recovery of Headwaters and Riparian Forests)
Bracell encourages communities to identify the fronts that create jobs, income and empowerment, as well as to find talents and promote leadership. The company structures groups of production, and makes them independent, owners of their own businesses, as well as it promotes partnerships with several institutions. These projects refer to:
- Art and crafts using vine and piassava
- Oficina dos Sonhos (workshop of dreams)
- Beekeeping Project in Bahia and São Paulo
- Farmácia Verde (green pharmacy)
- Fábrica de Fardamentos (uniform factory)
- Instituto Lidera Jovem (young leaders institute)
- Viveiro de Mudas (tree nursery)
Bracell promotes health, citizenship, culture and quality of life, at no cost, to the population surrounding its operations. Some of the projects and initiatives include:
- Projeto Circuitos Cidades Paulista (São Paulo cities’ running circuits)
- Cinema no Campo (cinema in the countryside)
- Mais Cidadania (more citizenship)
- Support to Municipal Theatre Adélia Lorenzetti in Lençóis Paulista
- Festival Integrado de Literatura de Lençóis Paulista (integrated literature festival in Lençóis Paulista)
For further information on our social-environmental activities and projects, please read our Sustainability Report.
Social-environmental responsibility
At Bracell, we are committed to promoting sustainable operations. We adopt the principle of responsible production, actively communicate with our stakeholders to understand their demands and concerns, and aim at leaving a positive legacy for the communities surrounding our businesses, as well as at acknowledging their needs, cultures, values and activities.
In all of its forest activities, Bracell aims at making the best use of the soil, water and other inputs. We understand that protecting the environment and biodiversity is not only a matter of ethics, but it is the core of our commitment with the society, as well as it is vital for us to remain a going concern.