A benchmark in productivity, the company plays a key role in sustainable growth in the Costa do Descobrimento region, in Bahia, with a focus on innovation,
environmental conservation and commitment to employees and the community
Veracel Celulose celebrates today (July 15) its 29 years. The company has a lot to celebrate: throughout its history, it has been recognized for the productivity and quality of pulp. It also plays a fundamental role for the sustainable development of the Costa do Descobrimento, in the south of Bahia, with a strong role for the conservation of the environment and support for the surrounding communities.
“We are evolving as an economic enterprise, adding the role of we also act as an agent of regional development. We understand that there is only a successful company when it generates and shares value with its territory and with society ”, says Andreas Birmoser, the company’s CEO.
With more than 3 thousand employees, 732 of which are own and 2,459 outsourced, Veracel has just been recognized by the Great Place to Work (GPTW) survey as one of the best to work in the agribusiness sector in Brazil. “This recognition shows that we are on the right path by always acting with responsibility, safety and valuing the well-being of all our employees”, says the CEO.
Sustainability: one of the pillars of the company
The company recently released its 2019 Sustainability Report, which can be downloaded from www.veracel.com.br.
Last year, over 16 thousand people benefited from Veracel’s income generation and education programs, from a social investment of R $ 12.5 million, which resulted in an improvement in the quality of life of these communities. Of this amount, R $ 8 million was invested in the family farming program in the region, considering projects such as sustainable agro-ecological settlements, Agrovida, beekeeping, fish farming and seafood processing.
Among the other highlights of the year are the growth in forest productivity, despite the climate challenges – with investment in process improvements – and the record in the industrial waste recycling index.
Environmental activities
Veracel operates in 11 municipalities in the south of Bahia, has a total area of 223,776 hectares, 87,962 hectares of which are commercial eucalyptus plantations, 101,347 hectares of permanent preservation area and 21,901 hectares of planting in forest development areas.
In the past 20 years, the company has restored more than 6,500 hectares with native species, which connected more than 65,000 hectares of natural areas, in a landscape plan that takes into account all fragments of native forest existing in the local landscape.
In addition, in partnership with Suzano, Veracel has been monitoring fauna and flora of the regional landscape in the states of Bahia, Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo. The total monitored area is about 900 thousand hectares.
Prime location
Veracel is part of the Central Corridor of the Atlantic Forest, which runs from Espírito Santo to almost Salvador. In this region, the company has many protected areas, and the Private Reserve of Natural Heritage (RPPN) Estação Veracel is one of them, with 6,069 hectares of forest in excellent condition. At RPPN Estação Veracel there are floristic specimens dated over 600 years old, which preceded the arrival of the Portuguese on the Discovery Coast, in 1500.
The company’s principle is to outline actions linked to public policies to guide decisions regarding environmental conservation. An example was the financing, carried out by Veracel in 2014, for the preparation of the Municipal Plans for the Atlantic Forest of ten municipalities in which its forest base is distributed. These plans direct actions in the priority areas for conservation or restoration of the Atlantic Forest.
Dialogue for environmental conservation
Veracel maintains a relationship network with different stakeholders, which allows exchange and sharing of experiences aimed at improving the territory. The company is part of the National Forest Dialogue and, regionally, of the Bahia Forest Forum.
These independent initiatives facilitate the interaction between representatives of companies in the forest-based sector and environmental organizations and civil society, with the aim of building common vision and agendas among these sectors. They are channels of dialogue guided by respect and the construction of strategies, agreements and partnerships.
Currently, the company is discussing, together with these entities, a model called Land Use Dialogue. An interesting example of this proposal is the possibility of establishing an ecological corridor to connect the Pau Brasil National Park, a federal conservation unit, with 19,027 thousand hectares, to the RPPN Natural Estação Veracel, with 6,069 hectares.
New certification
Due to the conservation of 25 species of
