The Amazon
The Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest is the worlds largest tropical rainforest, covering 3.4 million square miles across north-western Brazil, extending into Columbia, Peru, Guyana and other South American countries.
It has an incredibly rich ecosystem, and is known as the ‘lungs of our planet’ as its soaring trees contribute to more than 20% of the worlds oxygen, absorbs and stores carbon and helps to stabilise climate and rainfall. The rainforest also supplies 25% of medicinal ingredients from its plants and millions of people around the world rely on the forest resources for their livelihood.
The Amazon houses more than
- 40,000 Plant Species
- 16,00 Tree Species
- 3,000 Fish Species
- 1,300 Bird Species
- 430 Mammals
And 2.5 million different insects!
Today, 20% of the Amazon’s original forest has been destroyed, and despite how important the Amazon is for life on earth, it has been reported that a football field-sized area is being destroyed every second due to unsustainable human consumption. Demand for the rainforest resources is growing each year, and unfortunately, our current consumption level cannot be sustained.
The only realistic way to conserve the forest is to apply sustainable management practices. Sustainable forestry balances the need of the environment, wildlife, and local communities while conserving the forest for generations to come.
Gathering and using the renewable rainforest resources is a key component of sustainable forest management and promotes the conservation of the Amazonian rainforest, it also contributes to poverty alleviation and development of the local communities.
Amazônia Essentials purchases all raw materials (oils, butters, clays) directly from South America. Some of the ingredients we use could easily be purchased here in the UK for a lot cheaper, but it was important for us to be able to trace the origin and to work with a supplier who understands the importance of sustainable rainforest management.
With every purchase of our product, you will be helping us to support the families in the local community who harvest and supply these raw ingredients, while at the same time helping to preserve the regions natural resources in a sustainable manner.