Brasília – A study developed by Brazilian government’s agriculture research agency Embrapa shows that Brazil nuts, a.k.a. Amazon nuts, are driving sustainable growth in North Brazil through payments for environmental services.
Besides ensuring carbon storage and climate regulation, as well as helping the country meet the targets of both government program and global agreements, nuts have collaborated to create income in extractive communities, while driving sustainable growth in Brazil.
The conclusions were published in Castanha‑da‑Amazônia: Estudos sobre a Espécie e sua Cadeia de Valor – Aspectos Sociais, Econômicos e Organizacionais [Amazon Nuts: Studies on the Species and its Supply Chain – Social, Economic and Organizational Aspects]. The book is available on the Internet for download.
Developed by Embrapa researchers based in São Paulo, Amapá and Roraima (Marcelino Carneiro Guedes, Patrícia da Costa, Carolina Volkmer de Castilho, Richardson Frazão, Sérgio Milheiras, and Walter Paixão de Sousa), the survey is part of the book’s Chapter 11 “Serviços ecossistêmicos da floresta com castanheiras e serviços ambientais prestados pelos agroextrativistas – manejadores e guardiões da floresta em pé” [Forest Ecosystemic Services with Nut Trees and Environmental Services Delivered by Agrarian Extrativists – Managers and Guardians of the Standing Forest].
Added value
“Scientists examined payments made for environmental services (PES) and payments for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) in the Amazon. Both mechanisms stand out for their potential of adding value to nut tree-occurring forests by bringing added benefits like carbon storage, climate regulation and achievement of targets established in government programs and international agreements,” said Embrapa.
According to the government’s agency, the Amazon nut is a leading product of Brazil’s agrarian extractivism, with a chain engaging “dozens of thousands of families” and moving around “thousands of dollars per year.” Embrapa estimates that the nut production in Brazil moves around at least BRL 130 million (USD 27 million) annually.
Crucial role
According to Embrapa, the nut tree also plays a “crucial role” in the conservation of the Amazon, being present in approximately 32% of the biome (approximately 2.3 million square meter). The study shows that although nut trees account for just 3% of the individuals in nut areas in North Amazon, they contribute to 40% of the living biomass that lives above ground, of which some 50% is carbon.
Translation by Guilherme Miranda
