8 February 2012: The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a US$2 million project to help low-income families in Brazil to supply fruit kernels to biomass plants.

As a result of the project, kernels from the fruit of açai, used for the production of health supplements and beverages, will be used for biofuel production instead of being dumped in the city’s streets, sewers and nearby rivers. The project will provide technical assistance and training to waste collection cooperatives, as well as design a logistics plan that includes establishing waste collection stations and organizing transportation of the material to VBA-Açai. The project aims to organize açai pulp producers and pickers into a network to collect kernels and establish a commercially viable, sustainable and inclusive biomass production business in Pará.

It also expects to register emissions reductions under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) or other alternative carbon certification programmes, as it will reduce the generation of methane from the fruit waste, in order to create additional income streams for pulp processors and waste pickers through the sale of carbon credits. [IDB Press Release]