More than 75% of Earth’s land areas are substantially degraded due to deforestation and soil erosion, driving species to extinction, aggravating the effects of climate change and harming the well-being of people whose livelihoods depend on agriculture.
Thrive Natural Care, a U.S. company, sources natural ingredients for its line of skincare products from native plants grown by communities on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. The company partners with women-led co-ops and smallholder farmers to cultivate native plants that improve soil and biodiversity on degraded lands, boost farmers incomes and provide a high-quality supply of plant oils.
To meet growing demand for its products, Thrive is expanding to the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. There the company is partnering with Conservation International-Costa Rica to identify alternative livelihood opportunities for coastal communities as a tool for mangrove restoration and sustainable fisheries.
Financing from CI Ventures totaling $US 400,000 will be used to expand brand awareness and e-commerce capabilities; grow the sourcing model with communities and cover general and administrative expenses, inventory and product development costs; and secure regenerative certification for their growers. This investment is part of a larger US$ 1 million seed financing round led by investors from both the U.S. and Costa Rica.
Thrive’s regenerative model holds immense potential to both improve ecosystems and generate economic opportunities for local communities in rural areas. Over the next three years, Thrive aims to work with 875 farmers and regenerate 228 hectares of degraded lands. At scale, Thrive aims to restore 9,000 hectares of degraded soils and biodiversity and help improve the livelihoods of 31,000 rural farmers in Latin America and beyond. Ultimately, Thrive hopes to serve as a commercially viable inspiration for regenerative practices in the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors.