Hello and welcome to Nobis’ first of many blog articles! We’re here to give more attention to the details. This is about who we are, what we want to accomplish, and our value in helping the global food system as we know it.

The Global Food System.

Our global food system today is an evolved one. It is rooted in capital accumulation, power gain, and exploitation of new lands for agriculture. In this system, a few megacorporations control most of the market. Their strategies aim to promote the interests of a small group of companies that dictate the rules of the game that govern the agri-food chain. 

Large corporations are immersed in a process that ranges from GMO seeds, agrochemicals, and animal feed manufacturing. So think of creating value at scale. Unfortunately, as a result of cutting corners, a strong environmental impact is left behind. We are talking about an irreversible loss of biodiversity and a trail of inequalities: food insecurity and the devaluation of small farmers. These big industries see agriculture as an infinite resource. But we don’t. We know that food shortage projections are real. If supply does not meet demand, we are screwed. 

Enter Nobis.

Our goal is to create better-for-you food products that are grown by communities of small farmers in our home country, Brazil. We want products that are made from Brazil’s diverse native plants- ones adapted to the specific environmental and climate conditions that not many other places have to offer. Most importantly, we want to help nurture our natural resources and appreciate small family-owned farms.

Luckily, Brazil happens to have a unique climate and vast scape of land that enables it to have the highest biodiversity on planet Earth. Within that biodiversity is an abundance of what we call “unconventional food plants”. These plants are studied as a rich source of nutrients and bioactive compounds. Most of them are cultivated by small farmers. However, these foods are widely underused and lost in the conventional world. So let’s use those foods! We can generate a sustainable value chain by supporting healthy eating, family farming, and biodiversity conservation.

Great potential!

These unconventional food plants thrive in nature, without artificial fertilizers or pesticides, and don’t require deforestation for cultivation areas. Despite the name, unconventional food plants are popular in several regions of Brazil. They have been consumed for hundreds of years among indigenous communities and small farmers. Açaí, camu camu, and Brazil nut are some examples of unconventional food plants that are currently in the global market. In addition to new and innovative flavors, many of these unconventional foods have quite astounding nutritional profiles.

The farmers who make their living by growing these foods have shaped their lives by cultivating the land. They produce their food in a way that values tradition and social, environmental, and economic sustainability. In other words, their farming style ensures a variety of healthy foods through practices that reduce environmental impact. They preserve the water quality and enrich soil fertility through diversification in production.

Let’s help.

By giving work to these small farmers, we can step towards a shared goal: sustaining our Earth’s resources and feeding our exploding population. The farmer is essential to the sustainability of food security. This is why we place them at the heart of our strategy. We stand against the global agri-food system. Follow Nobis on this journey. Stay tuned for more info on our blog, and subscribe to our website for updates on our progress and impact.