SOCIAL & ENVIRONMETAL POLICY

Since its foundation in 2006, Nova Kaeru takes decisive action to combat climate change and protect ecosystems, with efforts aligned to reduce emissions and to protect the natural vegetation of the Amazon Forest, its people and the environment, in line with climate science.

One of the main raw materials for Nova Kaeru is the Pirarucu Fish leather. Thousands of tons of Amazonian Pirarucu fish leather have been purchased from 2007 till the end of 2020. It’s a fish destined basically for food. Thousands of families in the Amazon region have their survival linked to the capture and conservation of this fish and sustainable fishing is one of the main economic activities of the region.

It shows how the introduction of environmental legislation into the production system was able to promote a nature positive way of relating to the environment.

A SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

There are several organizations and programs taking place in many different areas of the Brazilian rainforest. Over a hundred communities and thousands of families are surviving on the riverside regions of Brazil through the sustainable development and extraction of the fish.

These communities are responsible for preventing the overfishing of Pirarucu - also helping to preserve the protected areas and a multitude of species of Amazon fauna and flora.

The areas surrounding the riverside producer families are collectively protected since. We buy the leather directly from cooperatives formed by families of fishermen of the region. Our goal is to enhance the economic value of the forest in order to protect it.

Associations such as ACJ, AMURMAN, ASPROC, in addition to others with which we also work, coordinate and promote the sustainable management of the pirarucu fish, ensuring that the results reach the fishing families directly. Today, more than 1,000 families represented in various associations are part of the project.

THE SUSTAINABLE FISHING PRACTICE

The collected data subsidies the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) in issuing the annual fishing quota for the following year, which can go up to 30% of the identified adults in the region.

The collective construction of this work is also a demonstration of how sustainable fisheries management projects should be implemented, in a shared and participative way among technical-scientific teams and fishermen, highlighting the importance of the necessary dialogue between scientific research and traditional knowledge.

At times, it was necessary to adapt fishing materials that were used in a predatory way, to create surveillance strategies to protect the lake systems and to change the posture regarding the use of natural resources. Everything to guarantee the conservation of the species and the social maintenance of the fishermen.

Year after year, the positive results in the production and recovery of fish stocks demonstrate that conservation efforts, even with all difficulties, are not in vain.

All Pirarucu fish leather is 100% deforestation-free leather by nature.

PIRARUCU'S SUSTAINABLE FISHING PRACTICE BENEFITS

Reduction of both deforestation and exploitation of the natural resources;
Sustainable management of rivers and lakes, for subsistence and commercial ends with anual increasing of the available wild fish in the region - surpassing 427% increase in the past ten years (data from Mamirauá Institute);
Dissemination of standard management technologies;
The insertion and enhancement of women's work in management projects;
Recognition by national and international development agencies;
Importance to the economy of the region and to the lives of thousands of riverside families;
Preservation of the protected areas and a multitude of species of Amazon fauna and flora;
Decreased rural exodus.

PIRARUCU ORGANIC BIOLEATHER

Nova Kaeru is a true pioneer, in Brazil and abroad, in the so-called organic tanning. Innovative process, which eliminates the use of chromium and other heavy metals, in the tanning and re-tanning stages, combining natural oils as the main tanning agents, and tannins and others as secondary tanning agents, and organic dyes in the dyeing process.

WATER CONSUMPTION

Water is an important medium in leather processing.

In the case of NK, as an effect of the inexistence of inputs harmful to the environment in organic tanning, after a simple correction of pH (potential of hydrogen), the water is reused when destined for irrigation of the field around the factory (NK is located in a rural area, about 100 km from the city of Rio de Janeiro).

Leather is a by-product of the pirarucu fish chain, whose engine is the use of meat. Until the advent of NK, and the consequent transformation of skin into leather, they were discarded as leftovers in nature.

LWG - LEATHER WORKING GROUP

Nova Kaeru is in the process of obtaining Certification by the LWG (Leather Working Group).

CLEAN ENERGY

Nova Kaeru is committed to ensuring that 31% of the 26,000kWh consumed by our facilities in 2020 will come from renewable sources in 2022. Brazil's national electricity grid is made up of almost 80% from renewable sources, which makes our energy sector one of the least carbon intensive in the world.

However, Nova Kaeru is expanding its goal of reaching 100% solar energy consumption by 2027.