Title:	Challenges for a Brazilian Amazonian bioeconomy based on forest foods.
Authors:	CLEMENT, C. R. PEREIRA, H. dos S. VIEIRA, I. C. G. HOMMA, A. K. O.
Affiliation:	CHARLES R. CLEMENT, INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE PESQUISAS DA AMAZÔNIA; HENRIQUE DOS SANTOS PEREIRA, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO AMAZONAS; IMA CELIA GUIMARÃES VIEIRA, MUSEU PARAENSE EMÍLIO GOELDI; ALFREDO KINGO OYAMA HOMMA, CPATU.
Date Issued:	2024
Citation:	Trees, Forests and People, v. 16, 100583, 2024.
Description:	The creation of a forest bioeconomy based on the extraction of non-timber forest products (NTFP) is being recommended to create wealth from standing forests and halt deforestation in Amazonia. Current proposals do not recognize the limits of this system, nor the impacts of capitalism that drive NTFPs with elastic demand into monoculture plantations. We use a narrative review to revisit the history of these ideas and examine public policies. Among 2,253 Amazonian NTFPs, 1,037 produce edible fruits and 131 of these are extremely abundant (hyperdominant) across the biome and common in the extractive economy. Low productivity per hectare in the forest, low return on labor to harvest the production, and scarcity of labor are three critical limits to expanding supply, with the last being the most critical in forest areas. Overcoming these limitations requires changes in public policies and public investment for health care, communication, logistics, and especially for quality education designed for rural areas and a forest bioeconomy. A mix of public policies to alleviate market failures and increase supply, efficiency, and demand via R&D, minimum prices, payment for environmental services, distinct types of certifications may be able to make food NTFP harvesting, processing, and commercialization lucrative enough to halt rural exodus and keep forest specialists in standing forests. An Amazonian forest bioeconomy depends upon both social and biodiversity, and the full participation and collaboration of Indigenous People and local communities in developing these value chains that can contribute to food security.
NAL Thesaurus:	Public policy
Keywords:	Elastic demand Forest foods Inelastic demand Labor scarcity Non-timber forest products Demanda elástica Alimentos florestais Demanda inelástica Escassez de mão-de-obra Produtos florestais não madeireiros Bioeconomia
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tfp.2024.100583
Type of Material:	Artigo de periódico
Access:	openAccess
Appears in Collections:	Artigo em periódico indexado (CPATU)