Truly Nuts: How Two British Entrepreneurs Are Saving the Amazon
From Manchester to the Amazon: The flavoured nuts reshaping sustainable snacking and rainforest conservation.
When it comes to snacks, Brazil nuts are a nutritional powerhouse—but their environmental story is even more compelling. While unsustainable farming practices often harm ecosystems and local communities, Truly Nuts is proving there’s a better way. Founded by two British entrepreneurs, Gareth Lloyd and Greg Vickers, this innovative company is combining flavoured Brazil nuts with a mission to save the Amazon rainforest.
From Manchester Student to Amazon Advocates
Gareth Lloyd and Greg Vickers didn’t start their careers in agriculture. The pair met in Manchester during the late 1990s, where they bonded over their love of electronic music. But a shared passion for adventure eventually took them beyond the UK to Latin America, where they discovered the challenges facing the Amazon’s communities and ecosystems.
Gareth Lloyd, born in Guildford, Surrey, and Greg Vickers, from Welwyn Garden City, have vastly different beginnings but share an entrepreneurial spirit and a drive to make a difference. Gareth co-founded Amoria Group, a global staffing and consulting firm that now generates $175M annually. His work spans 18 countries and industries as diverse as agriculture, technology, and consumer goods. Greg’s story began with music and motorsport. A former go-kart champion and acclaimed DJ, he turned his entrepreneurial talents to Latin America, where he revolutionised garlic exports before transitioning to Brazil nuts.
In 2012, Gareth and Greg co-founded White Lion Foods, focusing on sustainable agriculture. This laid the foundation for Truly Nuts, an idea inspired by their travels and the untapped potential of Brazil nuts.
While Brazil nuts are often sold plain or coated in chocolate, Gareth and Greg saw an opportunity to do something new: create a range of flavoured nuts that enhance the nut’s natural richness.
“Flavouring Brazil nuts was uncharted territory,” says Gareth. “But we knew it could help us introduce a wider audience to this amazing product while supporting the communities who harvest them.”
Their commitment didn’t stop at creating a better snack. Truly Nuts is built on the idea that every step of the production process should protect the rainforest and empower its people.
Truly Nuts operates from a state-of-the-art facility in Madre de Dios, Peru, where sustainability drives every decision. Key initiatives include:
- Renewable energy: Brazil nut shells are used as fuel, reducing waste and reliance on external energy sources.
- Local production: Keeping operations within the Amazon minimizes transport emissions.
- Environmental compliance: The factory adheres to Peru’s PAMA standards, ensuring minimal environmental impact.
A Million Trees and Support for Communities
Through their partnership with One Tree Planted, Truly Nuts is actively contributing to Amazon reforestation. In their first year, they planted 50,000 trees, with an ambitious goal of 1 million trees and 1,000 hectares reforested.
“Reforestation is about more than just trees,” says Greg. “It’s about restoring balance to an ecosystem that sustains millions of lives.”
Truly Nuts also invests 25% of its profits into rainforest conservation, working with local programmes like Junglekeepers, which trains forest rangers and supports sustainable agroforestry.
The company’s impact extends beyond the environment to the people of the Amazon. By collaborating with indigenous organisations like FECONAPIA and FECONAU, Truly Nuts promotes sustainable livelihoods. Their factory employs local women, paying them 50% more than the minimum wage, providing stable income in a region where opportunities are scarce.
“Without the rainforest, none of this would be possible,” says Gareth. “We’re committed to supporting the communities that care for it.”
Why Brazil Nuts are the Sustainable Snack and Where to Find Them
Brazil nuts are one of the most environmentally friendly crops available. Harvested in harmony with the rainforest’s natural cycles, they don’t require irrigation, pesticides, or deforestation.
Nutritionally, they’re packed with selenium—a mineral essential for thyroid health and immunity—making them a smart choice for health-conscious consumers. Truly Nuts combines these benefits with a production process that avoids the environmental costs of conventional nut farming.
Truly Nuts is available at WHSmith Travel Stores, Amazon, and directly through their website. With each purchase, you’re supporting reforestation, sustainable farming, and fair wages for Amazon communities.
So next time you’re looking for a snack, think of Truly Nuts—not just for their bold flavours but for the bold impact they’re making on the world’s most precious rainfores.
Elena Leo is the Arts & Lifestyle Editor of Ikon London Magazine.
