GEF approves USD 6.2M for Amazônia Viva to invest in cooperatives in the Amazon

After two years of negotiations, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) approved a contribution of USD 6.2 million to strengthen Amazonian cooperatives working with socio-biodiversity products. The Amazônia Viva Financing Mechanism is the first to use the GEF's Non-Grants Instrument. As established, FUNBIO will fully repay the funds over a period of eight years. Amazônia Viva is a blended finance initiative created by Natura, a Brazilian multinational and the leading beauty and personal care company in Latin America, VERT Securitizadora, and FUNBIO, which works to strengthen socio-biodiversity chains in the Amazon by providing access to credit. One of the mechanism's instruments is the Agribusiness Receivables Certificate (ARC), managed by VERT, which provides annual credit to socio-biodiversity cooperatives and associations to improve the harvesting of fruits such as açaí, tucumã, and Brazilian nuts. Natura participates as an investor and off-taker, helping to mitigate risks and encourage new partners to join. Today, the initiative supports 15 extractive communities and, with the new investment, aims to reach 40 associations by the end of the project. The second credit cycle was closed with 100% compliance among participating communities. The 15 associations received R$ 13 million to boost their productive activities. The goal for the next ten years is to benefit more than 10.000 families. “It's a complete solution!” says Sandra Amud, from the Association of Agroextractive Producers and Processors of Beruri (Amazonas), who works in Brazilian nut picking: “The mechanism not only finances cooperatives and associations, but also gives us autonomy to manage our own resources,” she celebrates.

Investing in a New Generation of Conservation Leaders

A conversation with Dr. Adriana Gonçalves Moreira, Head of the GEF Partnerships Division, about the Fonseca Leadership Program - an initiative partnered with the FUNBIO Grants Program Photo Courtesy of Dr. Adriana Moreira Since 2023, the FUNBIO Grants Program – Conserving the Future has expanded its scope through a partnership with the Fonseca Leadership Program, an initiative launched by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The program pays tribute to biologist Gustavo Fonseca, who led GEF’s programs division for many years and passed away prematurely in 2022, leaving a remarkable legacy in global conservation. Dr. Adriana Gonçalves Moreira, current Head of the Partnerships Division at the Global Environment Facility (GEF), worked closely with Gustavo Fonseca and was also a close personal friend. She emphasizes that integrity, perseverance, and a spirit of collaboration were among the core values he championed - principles that continue to guide and inspire the new generation of conservation leaders supported by the Fonseca Leadership Program. A renowned expert in biodiversity conservation, climate change, and sustainability, Adriana has played a key role in shaping and managing impactful initiatives, including the Amazon Region Protected Areas Program (ARPA). She is also a co-founder and the first president of the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM).  As the lead of the Fonseca Leadership Program, Adriana explains that the initiative is designed to support transformative projects that harness science as a tool to inform public policy and drive real impact in nature conservation. The program extends beyond Brazil, engaging 166 fellows across more than 40 countries on every continent - forming a truly global network of researchers. In Brazil alone, through its partnership with FUNBIO, the program has already supported 20 research projects. What motivated the creation of the Fonseca Fellowship Program, and how did the partnership with the FUNBIO Grants Program come about? The creation of this initiative was deeply meaningful to us, as it came at a very difficult time for the institution following the passing of our director, Gustavo Fonseca. The partnership with FUNBIO came about quite naturally. We were already familiar with FUNBIO’s Grants Program and saw it as a swift and effective way to implement the concept - already approved by the GEF Council - of supporting youth capacity building and training a new generation of conservation leaders. We wanted to begin in Brazil, so partnering with FUNBIO, a long-time GEF collaborator, was an organic choice. We discussed the different fellowship funding streams, and in Brazil, the focus is quite specific - most of the support is directed toward field research, which is a critically important area. I personally benefited from scholarships during my master’s and doctoral studies, and I know from experience that funding for fieldwork is often the hardest to secure. This initiative is also aimed at addressing that gap, by supporting the training of future conservation leaders in Brazil. What types of research projects are you looking to support, and what outcomes do you hope to achieve? There’s an incredible pool of talent, and we support a wide range of fields. But at the heart of it, we’re looking for transformative projects - those with the potential to create real, lasting impact. In particular, we’re very interested in initiatives that use science to inform public policy. That’s a key area where we see great potential for meaningful change. We’re especially interested in projects that synthesize work across critical areas such as landscape ecology, protected area management, flagship species, and endangered species - always with a more applied focus. Scientific rigor is essential, of course, but we’re looking for research that translates into real impact: advancing species conservation, protecting Brazil’s biomes, and informing government-led initiatives and public policies in these areas. Although the partnership with FUNBIO focuses on Brazilian researchers, this isn’t a Brazil-only initiative. Can you tell us more about that? The program is global. Even though it’s still relatively new, we already have a network of 166 Fonseca Fellows, our grantees, spread across every continent. We’re now working on building stronger connections within this network. One of our strategies is to bring the most outstanding fellows into global policy dialogues, particularly those tied to international conservation agendas. For instance, we’re organizing a training event for fellows from Southeast Asia and the Pacific, focused on leadership and navigating the science–policy interface. It will take place during the International Congress for Conservation Biology in Brisbane, Australia, this June. We’re also planning a special session at the IUCN [International Union for Conservation of Nature] event in October, with a spotlight on the program’s emerging leaders. How do you plan to promote this global platform for researchers? We’re developing a dedicated platform to foster integration and knowledge exchange within the program, which will be launched soon. I see it as a way to stimulate global interaction among researchers from diverse backgrounds. This is a key strategy of the program, to broaden researchers’ perspectives, not only in terms of scientific inquiry, but also by encouraging language learning, cross-cultural engagement, and a deeper understanding of decision-making processes at national, regional, and global levels. It’s a vital part of the leadership development we’re committed to supporting in the field of conservation. What do you hope these researchers - most of whom are still in the early stages of their academic careers - will gain from this experience? We want the fellowship to give them the opportunity to fully focus on their research - financial support plays a key role in making that possible. But just as importantly, we hope it helps them cultivate a broader perspective on the world and expand their sense of what’s possible for their future. There are a few key ideas we hope to inspire through the program. First, we want fellows to engage with Gustavo’s story, his roots, his journey. He was a researcher who, early in his career, had the privilege of receiving funding that enabled him to pursue advanced academic training, both in Brazil and abroad. We invite those selected through a highly competitive process to reflect on the impact such opportunities can have, not just on their own careers, but on their ability to give back to their country and to the global environment. It’s an invitation to broaden their perspective and recognize the importance of aligning their work with the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Another important message is that scientific thinking, the ability to ask questions, formulate hypotheses, and apply rigorous methodology, can be used well beyond academic research. We want to broaden the perspective that pursuing a master’s, a PhD, and an academic career is the only path. While academia is essential for building critical mass, especially in Brazil and across the Global South, it’s just as important for researchers to remain open to other career possibilities - ones that allow them to contribute meaningfully in key areas and make a real difference. I’m a biologist with a master’s and PhD who began in academia and now works at the World Bank, financing conservation projects because that kind of training is equally valuable in this space. One of the key messages I share through this program is an invitation to explore non-traditional career paths: working with civil society organizations, embracing an entrepreneurial mindset to create new processes, new institutions. We want to encourage the next generation to see their academic background through a broader lens and to pursue diverse opportunities where they can truly make a difference. Which of Gustavo Fonseca’s values would you like to see inspire the next generation of researchers? Gustavo and I were very close friends. What stands out most to me is his unwavering perseverance in pursuing his goals, and his deeply inquisitive mind - he was always asking questions, and never the easy ones. He embodied integrity, but also had a strong commitment to collective work. He had a gift for inspiring teams and bringing people together, and I think that truly defined him. He also had a visionary approach to institution-building. He helped found Fundação Biodiversitas in Brazil and played a major role in establishing Conservation International (CI) in the country. His mission was always to leave a lasting legacy of strong, high-impact institutions dedicated to conservation. What are the future prospects for the program? Long live the Fonseca Leadership Program? Absolutely! The GEF operates in four-year cycles, and we’re already preparing for the next, GEF-9, which will run from July 2026 to June 2030. We’re now approaching the end of GEF-8, the cycle in which the Fonseca Leadership Program was launched, with an initial investment of USD 10 million. An expansion of the program is already on the table for the next cycle, broadening its scope beyond conservation to include other key GEF areas such as climate change, chemicals, and international waters. This expansion reflects a long-term vision: that investing in the next generation of environmental leaders is essential. The program is a cornerstone of GEF’s commitment to building youth capacity and preparing future changemakers across the full spectrum of environmental challenges.

With funding of up to R$1 million, the ‘FUNBIO Grants – Conserving the Future’ program opens applications for its 2025 edition.

FUNBIO announces the launch of the 8th edition of the FUNBIO Grants – Conserving the Future program, in partnership with the Fonseca Leadership Program of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The initiative will provide up to R$1 million to support field research projects by Brazilian master’s and doctoral students across all of the country’s biomes. The call for proposals opens on June 5, a date of double significance, celebrating both World Environment Day and FUNBIO’s anniversary, marking 29 years of investment in the conservation of Brazil’s biodiversity. Launched in 2018, the FUNBIO Grants – Conserving the Future program was established to support the professional and academic development of a new generation of scientists and decision-makers in the socio-environmental field. All proposals must focus on applied research and align with one of four key areas: conservation, management, and sustainable use of fauna and flora; restoration of landscapes and degraded areas; territorial management for biodiversity protection; and climate change and biodiversity conservation. Since 2023, the program has benefited from a partnership with the GEF, significantly expanding the visibility and reach of scientific research in biodiversity. “It is deeply rewarding to witness the growth of the program and, above all, to see how the support has led to meaningful discoveries and concrete advances in the training of over 200 researchers across Brazil. The partnership with the GEF marks another important step in expanding this network of knowledge and connections grounded in science. I hope to see the program’s reach continue to grow in the coming Years, along with the positive transformations in the careers of these young scientists,” says Rosa Lemos de Sá, Secretary-General of FUNBIO. The program has supported 216 grantees to date - 170 doctoral and 46 master’s students - from 53 academic institutions across all regions of Brazil, including 120 women and 96 men. Among them is Juliana Fonseca, a researcher studying the effectiveness of marine protected areas and their relationship with reef fish, which play a vital role in sustaining reef and coral ecosystems and serve as a key food source for many communities. A doctoral candidate at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Juliana is conducting a temporal analysis of reef fish communities to understand how these populations have changed across ten marine protected areas. “My project will help determine how effective marine protected areas are in conserving different groups of reef fish, and provide insight into the status of key and potentially threatened species, such as groupers and parrotfish,” Juliana explains. “Parrotfish, for example, are locally extinct in some regions and still heavily fished in others. Support from the FUNBIO Grants program will be essential for collecting new data and enabling a meaningful temporal comparison,” she adds. The results will also help identify the specific needs of each protected area - whether improving enforcement, developing appropriate management plans, or regulating visitation - and inform the design of more effective conservation strategies. An international network for knowledge Exchange The FUNBIO Grants – Conserving the Future program serves as a catalyst for national scientific research, while also fostering knowledge networks and supporting the development of future leaders. By investing in young scientists and helping transform their proposals into applied knowledge for environmental conservation, the initiative addresses a key funding gap in one of the most critical stages of scientific training: field research. Another important highlight is that, through the partnership with the GEF, one of the world’s leading environmental funders, outstanding grantees have the opportunity to join the Fonseca Leadership Program. Created in honor of biologist Gustavo Fonseca, who, as Director of Programs at the GEF, helped drive some of the most impactful conservation initiatives globally, the program supports the development of emerging leaders and their integration into an international network, expanding their connections, knowledge, and the reach of their research. “The program is global. Although still relatively new, we already have a network of 166 Fonseca Fellows who are now present on every continent. We're now beginning an initiative to actively strengthen this network. We also have a strategy to involve the most outstanding fellows in global policy discussions on conservation,” says Adriana Moreira, Head of the Partnerships Division at the Global Environment Facility (GEF). How to apply The selection process includes three consecutive and eliminatory stages: registration and eligibility review; project evaluation; and submission of recommendation letters and a statement of interest, culminating in the final ranking of selected proposals. Projects must align with one of the following thematic areas: ● Conservation, management, and sustainable use of fauna and flora ● Restoration of landscapes and degraded areas ● Territorial management for biodiversity protection ● Climate change and biodiversity conservation Applicants must submit their applications through the online form available on FUNBIO’s Call for Proposals Portal. The deadline is July 31, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. (Brasília time). The results of the selection process will be announced by December 13, 2025, on FUNBIO’s website and social media channels.