Created by the Fresh PR agency and activist Felipe Triaca, the action aims to raise awareness about the importance of preserving the cerrado
“The Cerrado is the cradle of Brazil’s waters”: this phrase is unknown to 70% of Brazilians. The second largest biome in the country and in Latin America is more than 65 million years old. Just as 3 in 10 Brazilians do not even know if there is water in the Cerrado, while it is home to eight of Brazil’s twelve hydrographic regions and has underground reserves of fresh water that supply six of Brazil’s largest river basins (Amazon, Araguaia/Tocantins, North Atlantic /Northeast, São Francisco, East Atlantic and Paraná/Paraguay) and eight in total.
An unprecedented survey carried out by Hibou, a research and insights company, especially for the new Sou Cerrado initiative, in November 2023, was carried out with more than 2 thousand Brazilians. The results show the population’s widespread lack of knowledge about the Cerrado biome, while it silently reaches historic levels of devastation. If the survey were a test of knowledge, two thirds of Brazilians would fail, not getting even half of the questions right.
Based on the invisibility of the biome, the Sou Cerrado initiative was born, created by the communications agency Fresh PR and activist Felipe Triaca, with the aim of reaching and engaging a greater number of people in the preservation of the Cerrado.
Among the NGOs selected to receive support through the website are: Rede Contra Fogo, Fundação Mais Cerrado, Cerrado de Pé, Movimento Lixo Zero, Rede Kalunga, Brigada Voluntária São Jorge, Eu Desacelero na Chapada, Turma que Faz and the entire network of NGOs present in the Cerrado Network.
The Sou Cerrado team sought out institutions involved in the cause of the biome and water and gained institutional support from some of the main organizations that work for the environment: WWF-Brazil, Voice of the Oceans, ISPN (Instituto Sociedade, População e Natureza) and Rede Thick. The Veadeiros Association, Kalunga Communication Network, Urbia Cataratas and Casa de Cultura Cavaleiros de Jorge also support the initiative.
Launch at SPFW
Sou Cerrado was launched this Friday (12) during the Thear fashion show, by designer Theo Alexandre, at SPFW. Thear is a brand from the Cerrado of Goiás, whose purpose is to collaborate with sustainability. The collection, inspired by the biome, became the ideal stage for the announcement. Thear paraded the “Sou Cerrado” t-shirt created by the brand for the campaign, in collaboration with Myda Malhas and Zênite.
