Ajegroup Case Study

Company Overview

Ajegroup, known as AJE, is a Peruvian multinational company that manufactures, distributes and sells alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The company’s cultivation of Amazonian fruits is a powerful example of participatory processes resulting in commercial, social and environmental benefits for Indigenous Peoples and the company.

P4F Initiative and Sustainable Value Chain

AJE piloted the P4F initiative, which supported several value chain actors to scale a community-focused and sustainable superfood juice to a transparent and resilient value chain. P4F sources aguaje (Mauritia flexuosa) and camu camu (Myrciaria dubia) that is sustainably harvested by eight communities in Peru. The company processes it into Amayu fruit juice for the Peruvian, the United States, and other markets.

The value chain provides the local and Indigenous Amazonian communities with an income source, protects forests and biodiversity, and provides the market with sustainable, healthy juices. With P4F support, AJE has scaled the initiative to source from 22 communities, increase the capacity of Frutama, a pulp processor, and establish a resilient value chain. AJE is expanding this model of supply chain to Colombia and Ecuador.

Environmental and Cultural Protection

AJE says it protects 6 million hectares of primary forests in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Central America, Mexico, Thailand, and Indonesia through the creation of sustainable value chains with Indigenous communities, empowering their culture, and supporting endangered species, thus protecting biodiversity. The company says it recognizes the importance of Indigenous cultures and works to empower them through sustainable initiatives, including supporting their livelihoods and promoting their traditional knowledge.

Examples of Initiatives

Examples of initiatives include:

• Grupo AJE's Bio Amayu brand that focuses on protecting Indigenous communities and the regions producing super fruits, like aguaje and camu-camu

• The Agua Cielo brand that also supports the protection of Indigenous communities and the regions where they live

• Collaboration with Nature and Culture International, an organization that works with Indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon to promote sustainable livelihoods

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