In the heart of the Amazon rainforest, a new approach to climate finance is starting to make an impact. Amazonia Impact Ventures (AIV), supported through the Catalytic Climate Finance Facility’s acceleration program, is helping build a thriving forest-based bioeconomy by combining impact-linked finance with technical support. Its work is already strengthening local value chains, enhancing forest conservation, and unlocking new pathways for private capital to drive sustainable development in one of the world’s most critical ecosystems. In this interview, Aldo Soto, Managing Director and Co-Founder of AIV, shares how his team is bridging the gap between conservation and community empowerment through a bold new investment approach.
What challenges have you faced?
The Amazon rainforest loses over 2 million hectares of forest every year. Communities often remain impoverished, with limited financial support—only 3.7% of Peru's national lending is directed to the Amazonian region. These challenges demand urgent solutions that balance conservation with community empowerment. Non-timber forest product (NTFP) value chains remain underserved, while SMEs are trapped in the missing middle, unable to access the funding they need.
What is the solution?
A unique financial innovation is taking root in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, AIV is an impact investment manager that addresses critical challenges in the Amazon rainforest. By providing impact-linked finance, it supports smallholder farmers, indigenous communities, women-led cooperatives, and mission-driven companies, fostering a thriving forest-based bioeconomy. Additionally, AIV strengthens cooperatives with technical support and enhances forest conservation and restoration, gender equity, and social inclusion strategies.
How did funding from the CC facility support the development of the solution?
Receiving the CC Facility funding in 2024 enabled AIV to accelerate the structuring of the Amazonia Impact Fund I. The acceleration grant and technical support provided by Convergence and CPI allowed AIV to bring the investment vehicle to market, strengthen its impact measurement and management framework, implement a robust gender strategy, and grow the fundraising efforts to attract the proposed USD 25million of the fund.
What is the impact so far?
With this backing, AIV is revolutionising Amazonian supply chains, fostering sustainability and equity while connecting ethical buyers with local producers. AIV’s initiatives have positively impacted over 4,000 producers, improved the management of 160,000 hectares of forest, and boosted livelihoods across three Amazonian countries. Over USD 9 million was invested across 35 impact-linked loans spanning 12 value chains, including NTF products like Brazil nuts, ungurahui, aguaje, and açaí. This has enhanced the daily lives of local farmers, 36% of whom are women and 32% Indigenous, promoting economic resilience in the Amazon and supporting them to safeguard the forest where they live and work.Since its foundation, the team at AIV has advocated for mobilising impact capital to the rainforest and collaborated in global events to amplify the voice of farmers and indigenous peoples.
What’s next?
AIV plans to scale its impact further by regenerating farms through agroforestry, planting over 6 million trees, and improving land use on 1 million hectares with climate-smart practices. We aim to serve 20,000 producers, including 40-50% women and 40% indigenous communities, while supporting 50+ sustainable enterprises in Amazonian value chains. This includes building SME capacities for nature-based solutions, improving market access, and strengthening impact measurement systems for carbon and biodiversity.