Interview: Talita Amado introduces herself

What did you do before you joined corsus?

Before joining corsus, I held a research position at the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) in Leipzig, Germany. I was working in the Macroecology and Society Group, where I focused on analyzing the impact of Germany’s Bioeconomy on Biodiversity. In this position, I was using machine learning to learn how our production and consumption patterns impact nature. Prior to that, I worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher in Spain analyzing how species endure and survive climatic changes.

corsus advises on sustainability. What do you associate with sustainability?

As an ecologist, I associate sustainability with practices and policies that aim to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This includes the responsible management of natural resources, the reduction of environmental impacts, the promotion of social justice and economic development that is environmentally friendly and socially inclusive. To achieve this, we need a more inclusive approach that involves every sector of our society. This is a major challenge because we are sometimes dealing with competing sectors of society, between which the divide is widening. Therefore, our task as consultants is to bridge this gap and pave the way for more sustainability.

Is there a topic that is particularly close to your heart?

Biodiversity holds a special place in my heart, especially considering my origins in Brazil, one of the world’s most biodiverse countries. Nature permeates every aspect of Brazilian culture – from music to food to cosmetics. Without achieving sustainable objectives, my heritage risks fading away. This is why I feel a strong drive to take action. Through my academic and professional journey in biodiversity research, I’ve grown to deeply understand the critical importance of preserving Earth’s diverse ecosystems and species. Biodiversity not only upholds ecological balance and resilience but also provides invaluable ecosystem services crucial for human well-being. It is this understanding that fuels my passion for contributing to initiatives aimed at conserving and rejuvenating biodiversity for the betterment of our communities.

What are you currently working on at corsus?

This year, I will be supporting the team in the CLIF project with the life cycle assessment of food and the development of guidelines for an internationally applicable tool for communicating the sustainability impact of food. At the moment, I’m working with the team to develop an API (programming interface) that helps people to make better food choices. With that we want people to be able to pick sustainable food products. In addition, I am currently running the LCA of mate production from Paraguay. Both are very exciting projects. I’m enthusiastic about integrating my past experiences into the work here at corsus. In the future, I would also like to work with companies to develop sustainability strategies with them and support them in their implementation.