One of the central pillars of Mercado Libre is to grow in harmony with the environment and accelerate the transformation agenda towards an economy with positive social and environmental impact. For this reason we have created Biomas (Biomes,) a program that seeks to accompany the growth of thousands of producers who take care of Latin American biodiversity by supporting the sale, marketing and digital inclusion of their businesses. We are guided by a double purpose: to promote the people who work and live in the ecosystem itself by taking care of natural resources and, in turn, to promote the visibility, appreciation  and conservation of their ecosystems, so valuable for the planet. 

With Biomas, we put our experience at your disposal so that you can capitalize on the enormous potential of e-commerce, joining forces with organizations that have a solid track record in the region in similar actions, to achieve a greater impact. In Mexico and Argentina, we work in partnership with Fundación Avina, an entity from the global south that promotes sustainability through collaborative processes. Articulating in the territory, this entity contributes to the program by supporting the generation and consolidation of bonds of trust with organizations in the area and will allow Biomas to  continue growing in the future. In Brazil, one of the main partners of the initiative is the Amazon Program of Casa Floresta em Pé; also Idesam, AMAZ, Climate Ventures and Plataforma Parceiros pela Amazônia, Conexsus, Instituto Auá and Central do Cerrado.

As part of Biomas, which is a structural and long-term initiative, we offer producers more than 20 hours of training in sales, commercial strategy, digital marketing, as well as one-to-one and group mentoring with specialists from Mercado Libre and Fundación Giral, so that they have the necessary tools to operate and grow in the digital ecosystem. We also grant them special benefits. Among them, assistance with logistics, knowing how challenging the distance can be for those who produce in areas far from large cities. 

We want to connect our consumers with these items made in an artisanal way and respecting the environment, reducing distances and generating income for thousands of families, thus contributing to the development of the communities in the areas. For this reason, through Biomas we  give visibility to these products permanently through our Sustainable Products section, which we launched in 2019 and which today has more than 60 thousand entrepreneurs and brands.  

Likewise, we carry out special campaigns such  as Biomas a un click (one click away from Biomas), which in its last edition brought together thousands of sustainable items, allowing consumers not only to easily access unique products from value producers’ knowledge and stories.  

Biomas' first experience  was in 2020 with entrepreneurs from Amazonas. The following year we incorporated producers from the Argentine Gran Chaco, the second largest biome after the Amazon and one of those that is suffering the most from deforestation. In 2022, we added producers from Mexico, which allowed us to consolidate the program at the regional level, by positively impacting 24,000 producers – more than 17,000 in Brazil, 4,000 in Mexico, 2,000 in Argentina – of 7 biomes.  

It is worth noting that the chosen biomes have an urgent need for visibility and preservation. In the case of Brazil, these are Amazonia, Caatinga, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest. In Argentina, Gran Chaco and Selva Misionera. In Mexico, the Temperate Forest of Chiapas and Oaxaca, which represent vital green lungs for the planet.