Sustainable Debt Award honours landmark financing for Brazil’s cocoa sector

Frankfurt, 12 May 2026 – LAGreen and the eco.business Fund, both managed by Finance in Motion, have received the prestigious Sustainable Debt Award in the category “Sustainability Bond of the Year – Corporate” for their joint financing of Brazilian cocoa processor Gencau. The award recognises the transaction as a pioneering achievement in sustainable agricultural finance and highlights Finance in Motion’s role as a leading force in developing innovative financing solutions across Latin America.

The award-winning issuance is widely regarded as a first-of-its-kind arrangement in Brazil’s cocoa sector. Structured through an Agribusiness Receivables Certificate (CRA by its Portuguese acronym) totalling BRL 80 million, the transaction unlocks dedicated capital for more sustainable cocoa supply chains. Proceeds will be fully allocated to purchasing cocoa from smallholder farmers enrolled in Gencau’s programme, helping to expand income opportunities and drive economic development in the Brazilian states of Pará and Rondônia.

The jury of the Environmental Finance Sustainable Debt Awards lauded the transaction as “great innovation and direct impact” in a sector which, until the deal, had lacked attention, despite its global reach. By linking the use of proceeds directly to deforestation-free production, the structure sets a powerful new benchmark for targeted capital deployment while advancing ESG innovation across agricultural value chains.

The investment was jointly provided by LAGreen and the eco.business Fund and structured by Itaú BBA in collaboration with Canal Securitizadora. For both funds, the transaction marks a major strategic milestone: it is the eco.business Fund’s first direct corporate financing in Brazil and LAGreen’s first investment in the Brazilian capital market through a local instrument.

The financing will enable Gencau to significantly expand its sourcing of sustainably grown cocoa, both from its own plantations and from smallholder farmers. More than 800 family farms are already benefiting from higher incomes, technical assistance and long-term off-take agreements. By 2030, that number is expected to grow to more than 2,000.

“This award is a strong endorsement of the impact innovative financial instruments can have in advancing sustainable development”, said Melanie Aimer, CCO at Finance in Motion. “This transaction not only strengthens the resilience of Brazil’s cocoa sector but also demonstrates how capital markets can be mobilised to support biodiversity and climate-resilient agriculture.”

For Gencau, the partnership marks an equally important step forward. “Together, we are setting a new standard for responsible cocoa production by combining farmer prosperity with environmental and social responsibility”, said Gencau CEO Adriano Pedroso.

The Sustainable Debt Award is presented annually by Environmental Finance, a leading publication covering sustainable investment, green finance and environmental markets.