Financing the Amazon Bioeconomy: From Policy to Practice

​Bioeconomy has become one of the most cited terms in climate finance — yet remains chronically underfunded at the scale forest communities need. This 90-minute moderated panel brings together investors, policymakers, and practitioners operating inside the Amazon to examine why capital is not reaching the communities where bioeconomy actually happens, and what structural changes would allow it to.

​The session centres on three questions: who does bioeconomy finance actually reach; what Brazil's national bioeconomy policy and Peru Bioeconomy Road Map are operationally committing to; and whether the investment community understands the difference between a USD 30,000 loan to a pirarucu fishing cooperative and a USD 30 million blended finance facility — and why that distinction matters for communities whose livelihoods depend on it.

​Confirmed speakers

• ​Pajani Singah, Co-Founder and Investment Director, Amazon Impact Ventures  — a leading Impact investor and operating at the intersection of climate finance and Amazon conservation

• ​Marcelo Behar, Special Envoy for Bioeconomy, Government of Brazil — responsible for translating Brazil's bioeconomy commitments into international policy and financial architecture

• ​Manuella Cantalice is a regenerative finance designer and bridge-builder based in Rio de Janeiro. She is the founder of New Animal, a systemic enterprise mobilizing catalytic capital for high-integrity nature-based solutions - connecting investors to a curated pipeline of projects led by Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and using immersive experiences to shift how capital flows toward nature stewards.
  Manuella also advises the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) on its Indigenous Peoples and local communities workstream, supporting the co-design of an innovative direct finance mechanism to ensure nature stewards receive at least 20% of forest payments. Her career includes strategic roles at the Brazilian Mission to the United Nations, the Climate Policy Initiative, and UK PACT. A Chevening Scholar, she holds an MSc in Development Management from LSE and serves as an advisor to the BioFi Project.

​Moderator

​Giulia Galebe, International Partnerships, Fundação Amazônia Sustentável (FAS)

​The session is designed for climate finance professionals, impact investors, development bank representatives, and NGO staff who already understand the asset classes and want to engage with the implementation gap.