Ana Carolina

The Black Jaguar Foundation took part in the Latin America Investment
Conference (LAIC) 2026, UBS’s flagship event for the Latin America region, organised last month in São Paulo. The conference brought together business leaders, institutional investors, and decision-makers from Brazil and across Latin America to discuss economic outlooks, investment trends, and strategic priorities shaping the region’s future. 

As part of the official program, we were invited to participate in the event hosted by the UBS Optimus Foundation, focused on philanthropy, impact, and ESG. This participation further strengthened the institutional partnership between the Black Jaguar Foundation and the UBS Optimus Foundation, which supports high-impact socio-environmental initiatives across the region. 

Our founder, Ben Valks, represented BJF in a moderated Q&A alongside other organizations supported by the UBS Optimus Foundation. The conversation centered on the role of strategic philanthropy in enabling systemic, long-term transformation—particularly in complex environmental projects. 

Key topics discussed during the panel included: 

• BJF’s operational model and the on-the-ground implementation of the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor 

• The role of the UBS Optimus Foundation in strengthening institutions and enabling long-term impact 

• The importance of strategic philanthropy in scaling complex environmental solutions 
• Future perspectives and next steps for supported initiatives 

One especially relevant point addressed governance and relationships with public authorities—a sensitive topic for international investors. BJF highlighted its independent operational model, grounded in institutional partnerships, legal certainty, transparency, and risk mitigation, reinforcing the project’s credibility in long-term investment contexts. 

The panel also provided an opportunity to present the scale, complexity, and ambition of the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor. Philanthropic funding was emphasized as a critical enabler for initiatives of this nature, particularly during their foundational phases, which require long-term commitment and a high degree of innovation. 

Another central theme was the role of UBS and the UBS Optimus Foundation in fostering a shift in how philanthropy is understood—promoting a move toward strategic, systemic, and impact-driven giving, beyond one-off or reactive approaches. 

The discussion also touched on the challenges faced by large-scale, long-term projects in contexts of political and fiscal volatility, further underscoring philanthropy’s role as a source of financial resilience, stability, and continuity for successful implementation over time. 

BJF’s participation in LAIC 2026 reinforced its position as an organization capable of engaging with major financial institutions, investors, and global philanthropists—while advancing large-scale ecological restoration, measurable impact, and long-term international partnerships. 

Some experiences are meant to be felt, not just described. The 2nd BJF Araguaia Seed Network Gathering was filled with powerful moments of exchange, learning, and connection among the people who make ecological restoration possible. We captured some of these stories, voices, and emotions in a special video—don’t miss it. 

Watch the video and experience how the BJF Araguaia Seed Network came to life. 🌱 

Organized by the Black Jaguar Foundation, the gathering brought together partners, seed collectors, supporters, and field teams in a carefully crafted program designed to foster dialogue and shared learning. Every conversation, every gesture, and every exchange reinforced a simple truth: restoration is a collective journey, built when people move forward together. 

We were delighted to welcome a special visit from one of our key partners: UBS Optimus Foundation. Patrick Nussbaumer, Director Climate and Environment of UBS Optimus Foundation traveled together with two other high profile individuals to Santana do Araguaia to experience firsthand our ecological restoration and community engagement efforts underway in the Araguaia Biodiversity Corridor.

During the visit, Patrick together with Professor Annetje Ottow, previous President of Leiden University and BJF Brazil board member Camila Borba Lefèvre toured our restoration sites and seedling nursery and exchanged experiences with our field team and members of the BJF Araguaia Seed Network (Ressemear). We even had a chance to install wildlife trap cameras in some of our 5-year young restoration sites! It was an inspiring opportunity to witness the positive socio-environmental impact we are creating together in the region.

For the 2025/2026 planting season, the Black Jaguar Foundation is set to restore approximately 280 hectares, applying a combination of ecological restoration strategies. 

These include direct seedling planting, direct seeding using the muvuca (seed mix) method, and assisted natural regeneration, tailored to the specific conditions of each area. 

And the results are already taking shape. So far, 70% of the planned implementation has already been completed,  along with essential site preparation activities such as fencing, mowing, selective herbicide application, opening planting lines, and soil fertilization—key steps to ensure successful restoration.

In addition to supporting conservation and management efforts, the images captured have become a powerful tool for environmental education. They allow us to track biodiversity over time, observe how animals use their habitat, and even understand how wildlife contributes to the restoration process itself — for example, through seed dispersal and other essential ecological dynamics. 

More cameras are expected to be installed over the coming months and will be periodically relocated to new areas as the forests grow, revealing more about the life returning to these ecosystems.