The rainforest brands

If it could be assessed commercially, the term Amazonia (Portuguese for the Amazon Region) would probably be one of the most valuable brands around today, since it immediately transports consumers from around the world to a region currently located at the epicenter of global environmental concerns.
Perhaps it is no coincidence that the world´s largest e-commerce company, the giant US online store Amazon.com, has borrowed its name.
By law, no-one can have exclusive domain over the word Amazon. But its market pulling power is undeniable. A search on the site of Brazil´s National Industrial Property Institute (INPI) for brands using the term (or similar names, such as amazonica) produces over 1,300 hits – many of which refer to companies based in the Amazon region (several of them in the Manaus Free Trade Zone). But this search also produces registered brands related to vegetables, water, extracts and other products derived from the Amazon rainforest´s massive biodiversity, and not necessarily of companies from the region. With an eye on the international market, several of them use English words such as day, flowers or fruits. Some people believe the indiscriminate use of the word Amazon depreciates its value, and are in favor of restricting its commercial usage– similar to the protective measures related to a product´s geographical origin (such as the ultra-Italian Parma ham or French champagne). Should the name of a bar of soap, for example, feature the term Amazon if it is not produced there and if it contains a very low percentage of Amazon ingredients? “The best strategy for enhancing the value and prestige of the Amazon brand is to restrict its use to products originating from the region and produced in sustainable fashion”, argues Virgílio Viana, head of the Sustainable Amazon Founda tion. Created via a partnership be tween Bradesco bank and the Amazon government, the Foundation is a NGO dedicated to the region´s sustainability and environmental preservation. It develops projects such as the Rainforest Program, which offers financial reward to commu-
nities committed to rainforest development and conservation.

Viana notes that many of the products featuring the Amazon brand have no link whatsoever to the re-
gion or use only a tiny amount of local ingredients. “And even these small amounts of ingredients are often obtained without any commitment to sustainability”, he says. In terms of companies that exploit the
Amazon´s regional pulling power, the dilemma is recognized by some. The Brazilian company Natura is a good example, as it seeks to link its brand to ecological attributes and has already been accused of improper use of Amazon ingredients (see box section). “And we aren’t just talking about companies… institutions also op- portunistically exploit the Amazon brand", says Rodolfo Guttila, director of corporate affairs of Natura. "More often than not, they don’t do anything for the local community and don’t create ealth
in the chain of businesses identified with the region – opportunistic marketing is their sole activity". Guttila, of course, argues that this isn’t the case of his company. Natura, he says, generates wealth for the region by using raw materials extracted from places such as the Médio Juruá river (in Amazonas), or by ommunities in the interior of the states of Amapá and Acre. In terms of the amount of local ingredients used, he says his criticism comes from those who don’t understand the processes involved in the cosmetics industry. The per-
centages used reflect a sustainable production process, which features zero waste, says Guttila. “We use the required amount to make perfumes or moisturizers…nothing more, nothing less”, he says.
But, if there are risks, the opportunities related to the concepts of nature and sustainability are probably much greater – especially in the international market. A good example is Native Original a Manaus store that sells furniture and decorative objects produced by local craftsmen, using residues of wood, seeds, fruits and fibers from the region. The prices of its products, developed by the Tropical Design project of the Center of
Analysis, Research and Technological Innovation (FUCAPI) of Manaus, can cost up to R$ 10,000. Rozana Lentz, partner of Native Original, says that foreign clients are now willing to pay a “fair price” for products combining recycled waste, design care, almost craftsman-like production, community involvement and income and job creation.
Native started participating in international trade fairs last year and already exports to a Spanish store.
“At our Manaus store, most clients are tourists, especially foreigners”, says Rozana.

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