Small World Spotlight: TRULY NUTS!

by Gabrielle Clawson September 23, 2024 3 min read

Small World Spotlight: TRULY NUTS!
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Small World Spotlight: Amazon Rainforest Reforestation with TRULY NUTS!

Founded by a former DJ Duo, White Lion Foods’s newly launched TRULY NUTS! brand is the first to successfully provide flavored sustainably sourced Brazil nuts to the world. With environmental and social impact central to their business, TRULY NUTS! donates 25% of their profits to planting trees in the Amazon rainforest. They are doing this by supporting reforestation initiatives with One Tree Planted. They also invest in research and education around agroforestry and the health benefits of Brazil nuts and are passionate about supporting social impact projects. 

By pledging to GO WILD FOR GOOD!™, White Lion Foods’s TRULY NUTS! brand is an inspiring example of how sustainability can be baked into your business model. We recently connected with Gareth Lloyd, Co-Founder of White Lion Foods to learn more about this exciting new brand and their commitment to sustainability.  

How did you first learn about One Tree Planted, and why did you want to donate to us?

I co-founded a consulting and staffing group back in 2006 called Amoria Group, which launched its own charitable foundation a few years later. Through that, we have supported One Tree Planted for a number of years now, and planted over 100,000 trees to date, and hope to double that over the next few years. The relationship has always worked well and we knew with White Lion Foods and TRULY NUTS! we could take it to the next level.

Why is it so important to you to support reforestation in the Amazon?

The Amazon is not just important for local and Indigenous people of the region to generate income and maintain their livelihood, its survival is important for the whole world, as currently, the Amazon forest’s ability to suck up carbon is falling as deforestation continues, impacting climate change. We believe by working with One Tree Planted to create native agroforestry in the Amazon, local people will have a source of income and food, and at the same time, we can try to reverse the cycle of deforestation in this important region of the world. 

How does working with One Tree Planted help you achieve your sustainability goals?

The Amazon rainforest is the most biodiverse place on Earth, our goal is to help preserve it with an initial target of planting 1 million trees. One Tree Planted is of course key to this.

Aside from planting trees, how does TRULY NUTS! support nature and communities in the Amazon Rainforest?

Currently the core product of TRULY NUTS! is the flavored Brazil nut, and being that we are the producer of those Brazil nuts we own the full life cycle, from collecting the product from the forest floor to delivering it directly to the consumers' front door! 

By its very definition, the wild harvesting of Brazil nuts is a sustainable practice. The seed pods (which contain the Brazil nut) fall from the Brazil nut tree in the Amazon rainforest and are harvested by approximately three thousand local and indigenous collectors in Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia. The Brazil nut will only produce the seed pods while they are in a healthy virgin rainforest environment. Should the plants and trees around them be cleared, the Brazil nut tree stops producing and then dies. 

Our global platform across White Lion Foods and TRULY NUTS! allows us to sell to fifty countries around the world, meaning our local teams of collectors have a guaranteed channel to sell their raw product to with a consistent recurring revenue model so they are not forced to log or clear the land. By selling directly to the consumer through TRULY NUTS! we are increasing the value of the product. giving an uplift on margin and helping our collectors maintain a fair price for their raw product. A consistent price and expanding demand for Brazil nuts give our local communities consistent and fair recurring revenue each and every year, sustaining this ancient practice and keeping the rainforest intact.

We would love to learn more about the inherent sustainability of wild harvesting Brazil nuts. Can you expand on that?

Wild harvesting of Brazil nuts is sustainable because it relies on natural forest ecosystems, specifically the Amazon Rainforest, rather than plantations. The Brazil nut trees thrive in biodiverse environments, and the harvesting process doesn’t require deforestation or heavy agriculture. Local communities gather the nuts directly from the forest floor, preserving the trees and maintaining the forest's health. This method supports both biodiversity and local economies, making it a low-impact, eco-friendly practice.

“We are grateful to White Lion Foods for their dedication to making environmental and social impact central to their business model,” says Harry Lynch, President and CEO at One Tree Planted. “With TRULY NUTS!’s commitment to planting trees in the Amazon Rainforest, we are making a positive impact for nature and communities in the region where they produce their sustainably sourced Amazonian Brazil Nuts, TRULY NUTS!”

We hope you enjoyed this month's Small World Spotlight, where we highlight one of our amazing business partners who are making a positive environmental impact.

Interested in working with One Tree Planted? Set up a zoom call or fill out our form to let us know how you’d like to get your business (or employer) involved today!

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Gabrielle Clawson
Gabrielle Clawson

Gabrielle helps with fundraising and marketing, working with peer-to-peer fundraising as well as business fundraising. With experience in both women's rights and climate change organizations, she has a strong passion for non-profits and is excited to make an impact in the world through environmental change!