# Meraki Impact


## Posts

- [Svalbard: What Nature Teaches Us About Real Wealth](https://merakiimpact.com/svalbard-what-nature-teaches-us-about-real-wealth/): Svalbard reveals the fragile beauty of the Arctic amid centuries of intensive resource exploitation driven by human ambition and the desire for wealth, fame, and power, showing the direct effects of climate change and human activity, and illustrating that real wealth lies in working with nature, not against her.
- [Where the River Used to Flow: Regenerating Land and Hope in the Altiplano](https://merakiimpact.com/where-the-river-used-to-flow-regenerating-land-and-hope-in-the-altiplano/): In Spain’s dry Altiplano, La Junquera is a thriving regenerative farm led by Alfonso and Yanniek. Once abandoned land, it now hosts a community restoring soil, protecting water, and growing climate-resilient crops. Amid industrial pressure, it stands as a model of farming with nature — resilient, local, and ecologically wise.
- [Why Don’t We Value Food?](https://merakiimpact.com/why-dont-we-value-food/): At a time of escalating climate urgency, geopolitical tensions, and resource instability, the question becomes impossible to ignore: Why do we still undervalue food? As globalization comes under strain from trade wars and climate pressures, the fragility of our global food systems is becoming increasingly visible. Once considered a stable backdrop to modern life, food supply chains are now revealing deep vulnerabilities in how we produce, distribute, and value what we eat. And yet, despite its essential role in survival, economic stability, and development, we still drastically undervalue food — and the systemic risks embedded in our food systems. A […]
- [Rethinking Risk: A Nature-Inspired Reflection](https://merakiimpact.com/rethinking-risk-a-nature-inspired-reflection/): Lately, I’ve been reflecting deeply on a paradox that seems to persist: why are investors more risk-averse when it comes to nature-based investments or investments in assets that have a direct link to nature, than to companies indirectly dependent on nature, whose business model is intrinsically focused on extracting value from nature? This question keeps coming back to me, especially as we face growing environmental, social, and economic uncertainties. Our perception of risk often leads us in directions that aren’t necessarily aligned with long-term value, and we are increasingly finding it difficult to have a holistic understanding of scenarios and […]
- [Rethinking Rationality: The Hidden Costs of Food Systems and the Path to Sustainability](https://merakiimpact.com/rethinking-rationality-the-hidden-costs-of-food-systems-and-the-path-to-sustainability/): In our fast-paced world, the simplest decision is often the most “rational” one—until you look beneath the surface. When it comes to nature and food systems, however, what appears rational in the short term can lead to massive, long-term destruction of value. Balancing risk appetite, irrationality, and rationality is essential to creating sustainable systems that work holistically. The Illusion of Rationality in Conventional Agriculture Conventional agriculture is frequently portrayed as a straightforward, cost-effective solution. In many cases, these so-called “rational” decisions result in deforestation, land degradation, and a vicious cycle of diminishing returns. A groundbreaking study launched in June 2024 […]
- [The Power of Fundamentals: Navigating Complexity in Nature Investments](https://merakiimpact.com/the-power-of-fundamentals-navigating-complexity-in-nature-investments/): Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of learning from various fields and disciplines. One of the most valuable lessons I’ve taken away is the critical role of fundamentals—whether in nature, finance, engineering, or decision-making. In particular, the most basic principles that govern systems, such as the conservation of energy and matter, are not just relevant in the sciences; they also apply to the real world of investments and sustainability. As I shifted my focus to impact investing and nature-based solutions, one idea became increasingly clear: the world operates according to a set of underlying principles and rules that shape […]
- [What Happened When I Canceled All My Zoom Calls to Spend Five Days Planting an Agroforestry](https://merakiimpact.com/what-happened-when-i-canceled-all-my-zoom-calls-to-spend-five-days-planting-an-agroforestry/): What happens when someone stops talking about agroforestry and actually plants one? After years of research and advocacy, the hands-on experience of planting a system provided deeper insight into agroforestry’s role in transforming food systems—highlighting its potential for resilience, biodiversity, and community-driven agricultural regeneration.
- [Burn, Bloom, Begin Again: Life and Conservation Lessons from the Fynbos](https://merakiimpact.com/burn-bloom-begin-again-life-and-conservation-lessons-from-the-fynbos/): Fernando has been supporting the regenerative vision at Boschendal Wine Farm, focusing on sustainable farming and conservation. A key priority is protecting the unique Fynbos ecosystem in the Southern Cape, part of the Cape Floral Kingdom. This biodiversity-rich ecosystem can’t be reduced to carbon credits; alternative ways of valuing it are essential.
- [Nature’s comeback: Lessons from a Fire](https://merakiimpact.com/natures-comeback-lessons-from-a-fire/): In September 2024, a devastating fire ravaged our 13,000-hectare farm in Brazil, destroying pasture lands and forest reserves. Despite the destruction, the farm showed remarkable resilience. After the rainy season, the land began to regenerate, with even previous restoration efforts thriving. It was a powerful reminder of nature’s strength and the potential of regenerative agriculture.
- [Reviving the Montado: A Journey Through Europe`s Ancient Agroforestry](https://merakiimpact.com/reviving-the-montado-a-journey-through-europes-ancient-agroforestry/): The Montado, one of Europe’s oldest agroforestry systems, is under threat due to climate change and poor management. Regenerative practices like holistic grazing can restore this ecosystem while supporting sustainable cork production. Investing in nature-based solutions is key to preserving biodiversity and resilient industries.
- [The Super Shake That Changed my Microbiome and Our Investment Approach in the Amazon](https://merakiimpact.com/the-super-shake-that-changed-my-microbiome-and-our-investment-approach-in-the-amazon/): At the end of 2024, we broke our investment mandate to support Mazo Mana, a company sourcing 14 Amazonian ingredients from indigenous communities to create a sustainable, high-protein vegan shake. Their regenerative food system approach provides a viable alternative to destructive agribusiness, aligning with our mission to invest in nature-based solutions.
- [Breaking the Myth of Productivity: What Regenerative Agriculture Taught Me About Life and Work](https://merakiimpact.com/breaking-the-myth-of-productivity-what-regenerative-agriculture-taught-me-about-life-and-work/): Regenerative agriculture and personal regeneration share a common story: replacing unsustainable productivity with balance and resilience. Just as regenerative agriculture nurtures soil health for sustainable growth, personal regeneration focuses on fostering well-being, overcoming stress, and embracing collaboration. Both paths prioritize ecosystems—whether soil or human—for long-term vitality and interconnected success.
- [From Crisis to Conservation: How Gorilla Tourism is Saving Uganda’s Wildlife](https://merakiimpact.com/from-crisis-to-conservation-how-gorilla-tourism-is-saving-ugandas-wildlife/): Gorilla tracking has emerged as a powerful tool to combat deforestation, providing vital income for local communities that now surpasses profits from poaching. This intimate experience fosters deep connections between visitors and gorillas, reinforcing conservation efforts and showcasing how responsible tourism can drive wildlife preservation and cultural regeneration across Africa.
- [Lessons from Uganda: Rethinking Conservation, Community, and Impact](https://merakiimpact.com/lessons-from-uganda-rethinking-conservation-community-and-impact/): It’s essential to address the biodiversity crisis in the most holistic way possible by understanding the deep relationship between community and conservation and focusing on actions that can trigger systemic change, such as community-led tourism and creating supply chains that embrace complexity, support resilience, and enhance food security.
- [Farming with Nature: Lessons from Indonesia's Complex Rice Systems](https://merakiimpact.com/farming-with-nature-lessons-from-indonesias-complex-rice-systems/): During a practical module in Indonesia with Wageningen University's LightHouse Farms academy, participants aimed to learn more about integrating smallholder rice farmers into regenerative systems that thrive amid increasing complexity while working with nature. Although these systems can enhance resilience and income, they face challenges related to market dynamics, social factors, and dependency on industrial inputs.
- [Biodiversity Monitoring in Action: Insights from a Farm-Level Study](https://merakiimpact.com/biodiversity-monitoring-in-action-insights-from-a-farm-level-study/): A key question investors ask about regenerative agriculture is its impact on biodiversity and how to measure it. Recent bioacoustics data from Luxor Agro in Brazil provides promising insights. Our recordings show that agroforestry areas support more bird species than monoculture fields, underscoring the effectiveness of diverse, bird-friendly systems in restoration efforts.
- [A week offline in the African bush](https://merakiimpact.com/a-week-offline-in-the-african-bush/): In 1926, Boyd's grandfather bought a bankrupt cattle farm, which later became a hunting camp. Boyd's father and uncle, assisted by a local naturalist, started regenerating the land with the vision of creating one of Africa’s first safari experiences, turning it into the beautiful, lush wilderness full of wildlife that it is today.
- [Why You Should Devote Your Career to Nature and How to Begin](https://merakiimpact.com/why-you-should-devote-your-career-to-nature-and-how-to-begin/): We can address our planetary challenges by redirecting the world's most talented individuals, currently stuck in meaningless jobs serving only the capital markets, towards endeavors that truly matter in our multi-layered planetary crisis.
- [A real-life carbon story of large-scale regenerative agriculture](https://merakiimpact.com/a-real-life-carbon-story-of-large-scale-regenerative-agriculture/): Through the implementation of agroforestry and a well-managed livestock rotation supported by Savory Institute, our 1200-hectare operation is already carbon negative, and we are on the way to achieving the transition of the full operation, including a coffee farm and a 12,000-hectare cattle and soy farm.
- [A 23 Years Scientific Study on Coffee and Agroforestry](https://merakiimpact.com/what-can-we-learn-from-a-23-years-scientific-study-on-coffee-and-agroforestry/): The 23-year research experiment led by Professor Elias de Melo Virginio Filho compares six different agroforestry designs with varying management approaches, ranging from intense organic to intense chemical methods. 
- [The Waste-Devouring Flies](https://merakiimpact.com/the-waste-devouring-flies/): Pronuvo's model exemplifies a circular economy, utilizing the Black Soldier fly to convert waste—primarily banana peels—into protein for fish farms, poultry, and, most recently, pets. The production is with minimal energy consumption, water usage, and carbon emissions compared to conventional protein production
- [The Earth University](https://merakiimpact.com/the-earth-university/): Established in 1986, Earth pioneers holistic education for agriculture's next generation. Situated in a vast tropical expanse near Guápiles, the campus hosts a diverse cohort from Latin America, The Caribbean, and Africa. Students engage in hands-on learning, managing enterprises while studying agriculture, ecology, and entrepreneurship.
- [An off-grid, fully self-sustaining farm hotel](https://merakiimpact.com/when-regenerative-agriculture-tourism-and-education-come-together-in-an-off-grid-fully-self-sustaining-farm-hotel/): Rancho Margot is an amazing example of regeneration applied to tourism and education, transforming many lives in Costa Rica, including those of the community that used to live under the harsh reality of isolation.
- [The Costa Rican recipe for solving our biodiversity crisis through education](https://merakiimpact.com/the-costa-rican-recipe-for-solving-our-biodiversity-crisis-through-education/): The regeneration of the planet is only possible with the regeneration of people and ourselves. Eduard Müller, founder of UCI and Costa Rica Regenerative, understands this truth deeply. Leading the charge in Costa Rica, Müller is building an army of first responders to address our biodiversity crisis.
- [The chocolate regeneration of Nicaragua](https://merakiimpact.com/the-chocolate-regeneration-of-nicaragua/): Ometepe, the largest island in a freshwater lake in the Americas, thrives in isolation from mainland deforestation. This remote location enables an ecological renaissance, emphasizing the revival of indigenous agroecology practices, notably centered around the sacred Mayan fruit, the cacao.
- [When tropical timber meets regeneration](https://merakiimpact.com/when-tropical-timber-meets-regeneration/): One of the most exciting companies in our portfolio, turning degraded cattle land into lush productive mixed forests for high quality timber. Sharing a bit of our recent visit to Symbiosis Investimentos in Brazil.
- [Mauritius, from ecological disaster to a light of regeneration](https://merakiimpact.com/mauritius-from-ecological-disaster-to-a-light-of-regeneration/): Mainland Mauritius has experienced significant ecological destruction, with its natural habitat being affected by activities such as the exploitation of ebony forests and the establishment of sugar plantations. We visited the island to learn how new ideas can bring about regeneration.

## Pages

- [Meraki Advisory](https://merakiimpact.com/advisory/): Meraki Advisory We work to channel capital toward regeneration and conservation in the Global South, empowering communities and restoring ecosystems where it matters most. Meraki Impact is an impact-first advisory firm guiding capital toward regenerative and conservation outcomes. Focused on global regenerative food systems and impact investing in Latin America, we apply a systemic lens to capital allocation. Founded in the Netherlands, with offices in Amsterdam and São Paulo (Brazil), and over a decade of cross-regional experience, we connect investors to high-quality opportunities that generate long-term social, environmental, and financial value. Our Vision & Mission In delicate times within our […]
- [Philanthropy](https://merakiimpact.com/philanthropy/): Meraki Impact, through the Meraki Institute, a private philanthropic organization, supports the development and strengthening of civil society organizations and socio-environmental collectives advancing Social and Climate Justice in Brazil. We believe in the transformative power of an integrated approach, where investments and philanthropy work together to build a more just, inclusive, and life-centered society, one that thrives in harmony with the systems that sustain our planet.   As a Brazilian family, our philanthropic efforts are focused exclusively in Brazil, reflecting our deep commitment to the country’s people, territories, and ecosystems. How and what we support We believe that the transformation […]
- [Theory of Change](https://merakiimpact.com/theory-of-change/): Theory of Change We believe that the regeneration of the planet is connected to the transformation of people, therefore, making a shift to a regenerative food system is key in this healing process. Humanity has lost its connection to nature, which is at the core of our climate and biodiversity crisis. We view the natural world as something separate from ourselves and refer to nature as merely “natural resources”. One undeniable bond that creates a deep connection between humans and what we refer to as nature – or the planet – is food. It is essentially transforming the food we […]
- [Investment Thesis](https://merakiimpact.com/investment-thesis/): Investment Thesis By regenerative agriculture, we mean producing food in partnership with nature, promoting the healing of the soil and the improvement of its main ecosystem services including but not limited to carbon capture, biodiversity and water retention. We focus mainly on the way we produce food, making the shift from conventional agriculture to regenerative agriculture. By regenerative agriculture we mean producing in partnership with nature promoting the healing of the soil and the improvement of its main ecosystem services including carbon capture, biodiversity and water retention. The role of water as an ecosystem service is vital to our thesis. […]
- [Contact](https://merakiimpact.com/contact/): Contact Contact us for more information Send a message: contact@merakiimpact.com Address Prinsengracht 769, 1017 JZ, Amsterdam
- [Regeneration in Action](https://merakiimpact.com/regeneration-in-action/): Regeneration in Action Follow the inspiring regenerative stories from around the world. Fernando Russo July 1, 2025 Read more Vinicius Contieri May 20, 2025 Read more Vinicius Contieri May 20, 2025 Read more Vinicius Contieri May 20, 2025 Read more Vinicius Contieri May 20, 2025 Read more Fernando Russo May 20, 2025 Read more Fernando Russo May 6, 2025 Read more Fernando Russo March 25, 2025 Read more Fernando Russo March 11, 2025 Read more Fernando Russo January 14, 2025 Read more Fernando Russo November 28, 2024 Read more Fernando Russo October 15, 2024 Read more Fernando Russo September 25, […]
- [ORGO](https://merakiimpact.com/partners/orgo/)
- [Luxor Agro](https://merakiimpact.com/partners/luxor-agro/)
- [Pasto Vivo](https://merakiimpact.com/partners/pasto-vivo/): Pasto Vivo Pasto Vivo works with regenerative agriculture and an agroforestry baseline, but it also includes cattle within the system it has designed. São Benedito Farm, an estate with a total area of 1.200 ha in Mato Grosso, Brazil, produces fruits and nuts that are indigenous to the biome, and red meat in a sustainable way. View website
- [Investments](https://merakiimpact.com/partners/): Investments We choose to invest in early-stage companies and innovation through fund managers with impact-oriented thesis, which best fit to our theory of change. Our core business To better address our heart thesis, we are only doing direct investment at farm level, considering that a key part of our thesis is to prove that regenerative agriculture is profitable and possible on a large scale. • Biotechnology • Access to health • Access to water and sanitation • Water treatment • Clean energy • Circular economy • Sustainable production • Agri-tech • Food-tech • Biodiversity • Soil health • Regeneration Our […]
- [What we do](https://merakiimpact.com/what-we-do/): What We Do Lean more about our values and our vision of the future We as humans have distanced ourselves from nature as if we’re not a part of it. Food is one of the main chains that still proves this connection: our link to the soil and, with that, one of the things that still links us to the billions of lives that grow on earth and keep our ecosystems alive and well. Whenever we do something to further distance ourselves from nature, from our ecosystems, we can feel it in our food system. We invest in impact funds, […]
- [Our approach](https://merakiimpact.com/our-approach/): Our Approach Meraki Impact focuses on food systems and regenerative agriculture. If you’re not familiar with those terms, you can learn what we mean by that scrolling on this page. A food system is the entire process of producing food and getting it to someone’s plate.This means that several activities are essential for a food system to work: from seed selection to food distribution, for example. We select projects that work on regenerative solutions in any step of the food systems they’re involved in. We are especially interested in the ones that work with regenerative agriculture. Conventional agriculture practices in […]
- [About Meraki Impact](https://merakiimpact.com/about/): We started our impact investing journey in 2017. Take a look at how our theory of change has evolved and get to know our team! Meraki Impact Theory of Change 201720182019202120232025 And the team behind this story is… We believe that the regeneration of the planet is connected to the transformation of people, where making a shift to a regenerative food system is key in this healing process. He has over twenty years of experience in business, nine of which was managing his own company.Fernando has been dedicated to impact investing since 2016 because he strongly believes that a sustainable […]
- [Homepage](https://merakiimpact.com/): Our mission is to catalyze the regeneration of the planet and people through food Learn more about Meraki Impact Food is the deepest bond between people and the planet. A regenerative food system is the biggest lever for the regeneration of people and the planet. Know about ourTheory of Change We gear our investments as catalytic capital to promote changes in our food systems. We focus mainly on the way we produce food, making the shift from conventional agriculture to regenerative agriculture. Learn about our Investment Thesis We choose to invest in early-stage companies and innovation through fund managers with […]


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