In 2007, Conservation International established a partnership with Agropalma, the largest producer of palm oil in Brazil. The company owns and operates over 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) of protected forests in the Belem Center of Endemism, the most deforested area in the Amazon. Through our partnership, inventories of fauna and flora were performed in the forested areas and Conservation International proposed the creation of a private reserve of 55,000 hectares (136,000 acres). Additionally, we are developing fauna and flora monitoring protocols in order to assess the impact of palm oil plantations on native wildlife — like jaguars (Pathera onca), the giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus) and the golden parakeet (Guaruba guarouba) — as well as the positive impact that the forests can have on the plantations and the people who depend on them for their income.
For more information about Agropalma, visit www.agropalma.com.br.