Alter Eco's Commitment to reforestation and carbon neutrality
October 05 2018Through its partnership with PUR Projet, Alter Eco has been reforesting and ‘insetting’ its full carbon emissions since 2008. With over 27,000 trees planted directly into its supply chain, Alter Eco has helped to produce better crops, increased the value of the land for its farmers and participated in preserving the Amazon rainforest and its precious biodiversity. This holiday season you can show your support to this commitment by purchasing one of Alter Eco’s gift boxes. For every gift box sold, we will plant one tree in the Peruvian Amazon.
In less than a few decades the Amazon forest has already lost 20% of its biome[1]. Not only is this bad for the planet, as this deforestation leads to a reduction in the amount of carbon dioxide being retained by the forest; but this is also a problem for biodiversity, as the loss of the woodland means the loss of home and shelter for many different species. Yet there are ways that companies and businesses can rise to this challenge.
Since 2008, Alter Eco has been working with PUR Projet to partner with our cacao farmers from the ACOPAGRO Cooperative to ‘inset’ our carbon emissions. PUR Projet was launched in 2008 by Alter Eco France founder, Tristan Lecomte. Its core idea is to help companies regenerate the ecosystem upon which they depend[2]. When conventional carbon offsetting simply implies the plantation of trees, anywhere and with anyone, carbon insetting allows a company to plant trees directly into their own supply chain. PUR Projet works with companies to first identify the environmental and social needs within their supply chain and farming communities. They then build a reforestation model that addresses those needs while promoting the long term capture of carbon from the atmosphere. This model not only supports the farming communities and the environment, but also benefits the company’s bottom line by investing in the long term quality and yield of their raw materials.
Since 2008, Alter Eco has planted over 27,000 trees with our Peruvian cacao farmers. This notion of reforestation is part of the four elements composing Alter Eco’s pillars of sustainability and is a commitment that is at the core of production and decision-making processes. It has allowed farmers to grow better, more nutritious crops on increasingly fertile and biodiverse lands. This has enabled Alter Eco to be completely carbon neutral while protecting the environment and ensuring greater social and financial security to its producers. In fact, many farmers call these trees their “retirement fund”. They are the owners of the trees that are planted on their fields. Depending on the lifespan of the tree, farmers can collect fruits or timber which insures them an increase and diversification of their revenue.
This holiday season Alter Eco is offering you the chance to add your voice to this cause. Continuing its partnership with PUR Projet, Alter Eco promises to plant one tree for each gift box sold between now and December 25th. This tree will be planted in the Peruvian Amazon and will permit reforestation and better soil for future cacao plantation, enabling us to continue to deliver our sweetest, meltiest and most delicious dark chocolate. In addition to being carbon neutral, all our products are certified organic, fair trade, and wrapped in fully sustainable packaging with FSC certified paper. The gift boxes are available in three price range ($25, $50 and $75) to help you make the perfect gift.
[1] http://wwf.panda.org/our_work/forests/deforestation_fronts/deforestation_in_the_amazon/
[2] https://www.purprojet.com/presentation-what-is-insetting/