PORTFOLIO BY SECTOR

Suma Pacha Industriales de Bolivia, S.A.

www.forestworld.com

Suma Pacha, whose name means ‘good omen’ or 'good harvest' in Aymará, a local indigenous language, manufactures and distributes high-quality Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified garden furniture.  Over 90 percent of Suma Pacha’s products are FSC-certified giving it a competitive edge in the U.S. and European markets.  Currently, the Company’s primary customer is The Home Depot.

Located in Bolivia, Suma Pacha began operations in August 2006 when U.S.-based ForestWorld purchased the formerly bankrupt operation and relaunched operations.  Suma Pacha is the second largest employer in El Alto, where an estimated 67 percent of the community lives below the poverty level.  The Company offers its 500 employees stable, above minimum wage jobs, which greatly improves employees’ standards of living.

Suma Pacha is committed to working with rural communities on FSC-certification efforts and on harvesting their forestry resource in a sustainable manner.  Already the Company has initiated purchasing, co-management and research arrangements with Rainforest Alliance’s TREES program, World Wildlife Fund’s Global Forest & Trade Network, and BOLFOR II (Bolivia Sustainable Forest Management Project – www.bolfor.org), in which The Nature Conservancy is a partner.

EcoEnterprises Fund co-financed this investment with the project principals.

Investing in companies. Investing in communities. Investing in conservation.

Back to Top