Background
With an area encompassing 2,100,000
sq. mi, the Amazon Rainforest represents over half of the planet’s remaining rainforests
and it contains the most biodiverse tropical ecosystem in the world. It covers
roughly 40% of South American, or the size of the forty-eight contiguous United
States. Its geographic magnitude makes human exploration unavoidable. It is
estimated that twenty million people inhabit the Amazon Basin, with the native
population representing 1.6 million people across over 300 different languages.
In
spite of its abundant natural resources, the area detains some of the lowest Human
Development Indexes in the region. High illiteracy rates, incipient health care
and an economy based on subsistence agriculture perpetuate the poverty cycle.
In addition, the economic growth experienced by countries in the region has
expanded the agricultural frontier, making land more expensive and jobs scarcer.
Traditional Economic Development
Fishbone
The expansion of the agricultural
frontier, fostered by the commodity boom and the economic growth of countries
such as Brazil, Peru and Ecuador, intensified the rate of deforestation. Large
cattle ranches that use large machinery were responsible for 70-75% of the
deforestation. The problem is aggravated by farmers who use fire to clear the
land for new fields. The interior of the Amazon is being divided by large
roads, energy lines and transport projects that increase the rate of
deforestation, in a process known as fishbone.
Extractive Reserves
To combat this process, the
Brazilian government has established Extractive Reserves. These areas, known
for their social and environmental potential, are leased via a concession for
the sustainable extraction of renewable natural resources. There are currently fifty Extractive Reserves.
After six years of testing and monitoring the activities from this system, it
has been proven that this system is feasible and can work in harmony with
environmental protection. Monitoring data indicates that the forest in these
areas remained the same throughout the project. Biodiversity indicators showed
a growth in the number of mammals, although subsistence hunting is allowed.
Fostering Social Enterprises
Natura, Brazil's largest manufacturer
of cosmetics and beauty products, opened an industrial complex in close
proximity to an Extractive Reserve in the state of Para. This
project, called " Ecopark,” will focus on the processing of natural oils.
It is part of Natura’s Programa Amazônia (Amazon Program), which seeks to unite science and the traditional knowledge
of extractive communities
to generate innovative products,
job opportunities and income for
families in the region. Natura has sought to create products in harmony
with nature in a sustainable
socio-economic model. The program’s
objective is to increase the use of cosmetic raw materials originated in the
region from 11% to 30%, benefiting
more than 10,000 families employed in
the collection of these natural resources.
Development of Sustainable Businesses in the Amazon
(in Portuguese)
Future Challenges
The number of commercial products
from the forest will need to be increased. Large distances and poor
infrastructure are a great disadvantage. To overcome these, partnerships with
private firms that foster innovation and research will be paramount. In
addition, it is necessary to monitor the impact of a greater economic
development and the improvement in quality of life and the use of sustainable
resources. Extractive Reserves are based on a limited number of individuals who
harvest a limited area. If this population increases, so will the pressure on
natural resources. Finally, this model needs to be self-sustaining in the long
run and create more value than traditional cattle ranches and soy plantations.
Da Silva, Jose Maria Cardoso et al. (2005). "The Fate of the Amazonian Areas of Endemism". Conservation Biology 19 (3): 689–694
I understand the ideal of having the best possible social development for the Amazon. However, I think this will have to be a joint and coordinated effort between the countries that touch the amazon rainforest, given that what Peru or Colombia do to the forest will directly impact communities that lie further downriver.
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