Pará strengthens leadership in bioeconomy with attraction of sustainable industrial investments
Partnership between the State government, Codec, and Basa boosts a new productive phase in the açaí sector, with an emphasis on innovation and job creation
The Government of Pará strengthened, this Thursday (17), its strategy to consolidate itself as a national and international reference in bioeconomy, with the development of an institutional agenda at the headquarters of the Pará Economic Development Company (Codec). The meeting brought together representatives from the Amazon Bank (Basa) and the company Oakberry to discuss the expansion of sustainable investments in the açaí sector, with an emphasis on innovation, job creation, and strengthening the state’s productive chain.
The meeting was coordinated by the State Secretariat for Economic Development, Mining and Energy (Sedeme), Codec, and the Center of Industries of Pará (CIP), and reinforced the State government's commitment to align public policies with the productive sector, consolidating Pará as a strategic hub of the new Amazon economy.
With operations in over 45 countries, and a projection to reach a thousand stores by 2025, Oakberry has been present in Pará for over three years, through the Flor de Açaí factory, located in the municipality of Santa Izabel do Pará, in the Metropolitan Region of Belém. The industrial unit verticalizes 100% of the açaí chain — from the relationship with riverside cooperatives in Baixo Tocantins to the processing and export of the product. Currently, it intends to undergo its fourth expansion, with new investments in infrastructure, automation, installation of cold storage, and structural improvements.
Strategic base - The plant generates about 200 direct jobs in the municipality, and the expectation is that this number will increase significantly with the expansion. The company's goal is to centralize all industrial operations in the State, consolidating Pará as a strategic base for its global production.
“Oakberry represents the type of enterprise we want in Pará: innovative, sustainable, and connected with the values of the Amazon. Codec is available to ensure technical and institutional support for this new phase, which will certainly generate jobs, income, and value for the region,” highlighted Manoel Ibiapina, Director of Investment Attraction at the Company.
During the meeting, the representative of the Amazon Bank presented the strategic credit portfolio, highlighting the Constitutional Fund for Financing the North (FNO), resources from BNDES, and lines aimed at working capital — essential instruments to boost this new phase of the company. Basa also reaffirmed its role as a partner of the State in promoting the development of municipalities, especially in industrialization and sustainable entrepreneurship.
Social justice - Oakberry reiterated its commitment to good social practices, such as combating child labor, supplier traceability, and strengthening legally constituted cooperatives — pillars aligned with the Government of Pará's policy to promote a fairer, more productive, and sustainable Amazon.
The president of Codec, Lutfala Bitar, emphasized that the trust of an international brand in the business environment of Pará proves the correctness of the strategy adopted by the state government. “Oakberry's decision to expand and centralize its production in Pará is a symbol of the economic transformation we are building. The State is now one of the main destinations in the country for companies that believe in sustainability as a driver of development,” he stated.
Participants in the meeting included the regional superintendent of Basa, Leonardo Madeira; the general manager of the business agency, Geovane Rodrigues; the Business Manager, Valdeci de Sá; the Director of Operations and Expansion of Oakberry, Carlos Brito; the company's financial director, Tais Pereira; the Director of Investment and Business Attraction at Codec, Manoel Ibiapina; the New Business Service Manager at Codec, Sabrina Sena; and the Commercial Promotion Manager at Codec, Verônica Rodrigues.
The initiative is part of the ongoing partnership between the Government of Pará, the Amazon Bank, and the industrial sector of Pará, aiming to attract new investments, strengthen sustainable productive chains, and generate opportunities for all regions of the State.
