Building a thriving Amazon economy for the future

From guardians to green entrepreneurs

Across six Amazon states, almost 800 Indigenous and forest communities run local sustainable economies in a rainforest area expanding nearly half a million square kilometers. Through the ForEco program, these communities organize to achieve sustainable income and local democracy by harvesting, growing, and producing food and forest products for markets, retailers, and schools. The biggest benefit lies in thriving communities where women are leading the way and young people choose to stay.

Also, it is an effective way of keeping the loggers at arm's length.

With so many different communities involved, the ways and traditions of harvesting, growing, and organizing are equally varied. In some places, Acai berries and Brazil nuts are collected from the forest and sold at local markets. Some communities produce and sell cassava and cocoa, while others promote their arts and crafts at urban outlets. Forest restoration and eco-tourism are also parts of building sustainable economies.

A people and planet-friendly blueprint

The ForEco program promotes the economic importance of local, sustainable food production, answering several Global Sustainability Goals to prevent poverty and hunger and develop healthy, sustainable livelihoods.

In the Rio Negro Indigenous territory and biological reserve, the Indigenous umbrella organization FOIRN works with 91 communities to provide healthy food to the local schools. The work includes training and education in nutrition, local food culture, and economic strategy and planning. In an area totaling some 17.6 million hectares, developing effective systems for transport and logistics is a key part of this.

"Indigenous food culture represents a deep connection between people and the land and is vital in preserving cultural heritage. Harvesting, cultivating, and preparing food is intertwined with traditions passed down through generations. Building strong forest economies thus contributes to preserving these cultural practices for future generations", says Geir Finstad, coordinating the ForEco Program at Rainforest Foundation Norway.

Promoting Indigenous food culture is essential for achieving food sovereignty. A critical goal of the ForEco program is for Indigenous communities to gain control over their food sources, ensuring they can meet their nutritional needs and maintain their cultural identity.

Indigenous food practices also play a crucial role in promoting environmental sustainability.

"Indigenous communities have developed sustainable harvesting and cultivation methods that protect biodiversity and maintain the health of ecosystems. By supporting these practices, we can ultimately contribute to a more resilient and sustainable food system for the larger society", says Finstad.

Seeds of Change: Indigenous Youth and Women Lead Forest Sustainability

Creating vibrant local economies that focus on young people's important role is a way to ensure that they have a choice to stay in their communities rather than seek education and jobs elsewhere. In the project's next phase, ForEco will explore more opportunities to engage youth and young adults in innovation, using new technology, creativity, and traditional knowledge.

The rise in participation and opportunities for women and young people has been a much-welcome result of the Xingu Seeds Network (ARSX). This initiative is a network of more than 500 native seed collectors in the Xingu basin headwater, and it now has a flourishing youth group. These youths – from small towns, Indigenous, and other forest communities in Xingu - come together to collect seeds from the forest, restore ecosystems, and share experiences.

By clearly emphasizing youth, the ForEco program will accommodate their often complementary skill set and approaches to participate in the local production systems. This involves investing in innovation, uniting traditional knowledge and techniques with new sustainable strategies, and driving product development, production, and commercialization solutions.

Advocating for policy change

To gain recognition of the Amazon as a source of diverse and valuable resources, an essential element of the ForEco program is advocating for policy changes that incentivize local, sustainable production. The main argument is that these green alternatives must compete more with the current dominant environmentally destructive practices.

ForEco presents an alternative revenue model for communities in contrast to the short-termism and harmful actions of agro-industrial and other forms of monoculture cultivation in the Amazon. Lobbying for subsidies and tax breaks, increased public awareness, and better market access are central to the ForEco program.

A deforestation-free market

ForEco focuses on promoting the economic potential of non-timber forest products (NTFPs). With this initiative, we seek to shift the economic focus away from unsustainable practices like monoculture agriculture, particularly soy and cattle farming, which are responsible for roughly 70% of Amazonian deforestation. The long-term aim is for the market demand for sustainable products to drive change within the Brazilian agricultural sector, building a national green economy for the future. Through the ForEco program, we promote the economic, ecological, climatic, and social advantages of a "deforestation-free market" to international investors and buyers of Brazilian products.

A Forest with a Future

Rainforest Foundation Norway is ready to build on these first important results and positive developments. Bolstered by the current political ambition in Brazil to create opportunities for sustainable agriculture, reduce poverty, and change food systems, there is good momentum to expand the ForEco program. We recognize and welcome international convergence between the nature, food, and climate agendas. This shift is significant.

Through new partnerships, a broader geographical remit, and closer bonds with governmental and non-governmental bodies, the strategic initiatives of the ForEco program – and the enduring support of donors and investors – are set to build an optimistically-minded forest economy for the future.