The Frei Tadeu Association, responsible for developing the Sumaúma Sustentável project supported by the company, is headquartered in Ribamar Fiquene (MA), 70 km from Suzano's factory in Imperatriz. The initiative promotes income generation and productive inclusion for families in situations of economic vulnerability in the municipality and its surroundings.Suzano and Sofidel, the leading Italian tissue manufacturer, have teamed up for the initiative Together, we plant the future: developing biodiversity corridors for a more sustainable future. A three-year pilot project that will promote ecological conservation and restoration, and socioeconomic development in the Amazon region of Brazil. In addition to the two companies, the Brazilian Institute for Development and Sustainability and the Amazon Onlus, an Italian non-profit organization that fights for the defense of the forest and the population of the Amazon, are also participating in the initiative, responsible for supporting and implementing the strategies developed.

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The project aims to strengthen rural and peri-urban entrepreneurship by offering culinary courses and sustainable artisanal cheese production training, as well as training in beekeeping and meliponiculture. It also contributes to short-term gains through vegetable production. Its actions are organized into three main pillars: training, production, and commercialization.

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Watch the video and meet Raquel Silva, a cheesemaker who, through the Sumaúma Sustentável Project, learned to diversify her production and transformed her business vision.

Suzano invests in strengthening extractive communities, valuing the bioeconomy and expanding opportunities through the commercialization of socio-biodiversity products. Among these initiatives, support for strengthening the babassu coconut chain stands out, a symbol of resilience, culture, and livelihood for countless families.

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The Pindowa Project operates in Maranhão and Tocantins, bringing together approximately 300 families of babassu coconut breakers. The initiative promotes the preservation of traditional culture, sustainable management, and production diversification, offering items such as oils, food, soaps, and handicrafts, all derived from sustainable babassu extraction. Currently, the project no longer receives financial investment from Suzano, but the partnership remains active, based on cooperation, dialogue, and recognition of the importance of this work for the communities and the territory.

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Watch the video and meet Bárbara Pereira and Zuleide Pereira, beneficiaries of the Pindowa project.

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The "From Extractivism to Social Entrepreneurship" project, a partnership between Suzano, the Brazilian Biodiversity Fund (Funbio), and the Amazon Extension Development Agency, aims to strengthen sustainable extractivism in the state by improving the management, production, and commercialization of community products. It directly benefits 13 communities across the Maranhão municipalities of Imperatriz, Buritirana, João Lisboa, Cidelândia, and Davinópolis.

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One of the project's major milestones was the construction of the Estrela da Serra Handicraft Center in the Centro dos Carlos community, João Lisboa. This space serves as a hub for the production and sale of socio-biodiversity products, featuring bio-jewelry, soaps, and decorative items handmade by extractive communities — pieces that convey the identity, creativity, and strength of these communities.

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Watch the video and meet Clemilsa Silva and Ana Cristina, beneficiaries of the "From Extractivism to Social Entrepreneurship" project.