The action, which is part of the commitment to become a carbon neutral company, has the potential to remove up to 8,300 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere in 20 years
São Paulo, March 2022 – After collecting donations for the planting of native trees in partnership with the SOS Mata Atlântica foundation, iFood – the largest foodtech in Latin America – begins planting 50 thousand seedlings of trees native to the Atlantic Forest in Porto Feliz and Marabá Paulista (both in the interior of São Paulo), representing an area similar to 20 football fields. This number of trees has the potential to, in 20 years, remove up to 8,300 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere, which could correspond to more than 28 million deliveries made via delivery.
The initiative is part of the iFood Regenerates, the company's environmental commitment program that proposes a set of goals to become neutral in CO2 emissions, in addition to measuring, reducing and compensating all Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from its business, by 2025.
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The first stage of the action will be the planting of 30,000 tree seedlings, on March 15, in the area of the Instituto Raquel Machado, in Porto Feliz, a place that welcomes wild animals who are victims of trafficking and mistreatment. “The city was chosen for this planting because it is in a region that historically suffers from a lack of water. In this way, we will help in the recovery of the forest on the banks of the rivers to improve the condition of the region's water cycle”, explains André Borges, head of sustainability at iFood.
“In both Porto Feliz and Marabá Paulista, data from the Atlantic Forest Atlas indicate that only 4% and 3.4% of the original native vegetation remain, respectively. Science shows that the ideal is to have 30%, so we are very far away and we need actions like this to recover the forest”, says Rafael Bitante Fernandes, forest restoration manager at SOS Mata Atlântica. According to him, the forest contributes to the well-being of the entire population, as it contributes to essential issues such as water supply, climate regulation, agriculture, fishing, electricity and tourism.
In Marabá, Pontal do Paranapanema region, the project aims to restore Permanent Preservation Areas and Legal Reserves. There are two important Conservation Units close to the benefited site: the Morro do Diabo State Park and the Mico-Leão-Preto Ecological Station.
As part of the emissions neutralization initiatives, iFood also carries out advance compensation for CO2 emissions from deliveries, focusing on Amazon preservation and renewable energy projects. In terms of regeneration actions, in partnership with SOS Mata Atlântica, the company promotes forest restoration, especially in degraded and water-stressed regions. “We know the impact that the delivery segment has on the environment, which is why we have a series of initiatives to reduce and even eliminate our emissions. Regenerating forests is an essential pillar, returning to the ecosystem what we take from it is among our premises and we will continue to act and invest heavily on this front”, comments Borges.
Consumers are also part of this story. In January this year, iFood made a donation area available via the app to collect the amount that was used to purchase tree seedlings to be planted. In total, more than R$ 200 thousand was raised from users, in addition to institutional donations from iFood and Heineken. “This is further proof that the union between society, corporations and NGOs is essential for effective actions towards sustainability to be carried out”, concludes Borges.
About iFood
iFood, a reference in online food delivery in Latin America, has 60 million monthly orders. Having been on the market for ten years, the Brazilian company is also present in Colombia. It works together with partners with initiatives that bring together business intelligence and management solutions for the approximately 270 thousand restaurants registered in more than a thousand cities throughout Brazil. iFood has important investors, such as Movile, a global leader in mobile marketplaces, and Just Eat, one of the largest online ordering companies in the world. iFood News was recently launched, an iFood news portal that promotes current topics such as the New Economy and content about business curiosities, partners' success stories in addition to addressing trends and innovation in the segment.
About SOS Mata Atlântica
The SOS Mata Atlântica Foundation is a Brazilian environmental NGO whose mission is to inspire society in the defense of the Atlantic Forest. It works to promote public policies for the conservation of the most threatened biome in Brazil through forest monitoring, production of studies, demonstration projects, dialogue with public and private sectors, improvement of environmental legislation, communication and engagement of society.
More information: press@ifood.com.br / ifood@agoracomunica.com.br
news.ifood.com.br / @ifoodnewsbrasil / iFood News
Press Information
Bruna Nascimento | Agora Communication
bruna.nascimento@agoracomunica.com.br
(11) 99171-6314