Xapurí is a small town in Acre, in the northern region of Brazil, with a population of 18 thousand, and located 180 km from the state capital, Rio Branco. Its economy and the livelihood of most residents have always depended on extraction and Amazon forest management activities, from production to product processing, particularly of rubber and chestnuts, which have been extracted in the region for generations.
In Xapurí, birthplace of the rubber collector and prominent Brazilian environmentalist, Chico Mendes, resides the Xapurí AgroExtractivist Cooperative (Cooperxapuri), a branch of the Central Extractive Cooperative of Acre (Cooperacre), the largest cooperative of extractivist agroforestry products in the state and the largest chestnut producer in Brazil. Cooperacre operates in 18 municipalities of Acre, bringing together 35 cooperatives and associations with more than 2,500 associated families.
Cooperxapuri, for its part, is made up of 200 producers representing 540 families. In 2023, they produced 262 tons of rubber at a price of US$ 4.2 per kilo. Rubber is the main product among families and is exported to a French company that transforms the material into tennis shoes insoles and soles. The second most extracted product, the chestnut, yielded last year 80 thousand cans, some 800 tons, which are sold in Brazil and exported to 11 countries. According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), Xapurí was the third Brazilian municipality with the largest production of chestnuts in 2023, with a total of 2,005 tons. Acre recorded a total value for plant extraction production of US$ 4.26 million that same year.
“For every 3,000 cans of chestnuts produced, the worth of a job for a full year is generated,” said the producer Tião Aquino, born and raised in the city, and current president of the Council of Cooperxapuri.
Without deforestation or destroying the forest, organized producers can extract resources in a controlled manner and with knowledge about its regeneration capacity, thus, extractivism can even promote the maintenance of ecosystems. Therefore, the success of the cooperative demonstrates that it is possible to live off nature’s resources and thrive without deforestation or contamination.
Given the advance of illegal deforestation and the growing problems caused by climate change, such as the recent forest fires that have affected Brazil, ‘bioeconomy’ has been revealed as an opportunity for the preservation of nature, and the improvement of the livelihoods of communities that depend on the land’s resources.
A Sustainable Management Model
Today, Acre has 85% of its territory covered by preserved Amazon rainforest, and it is the Brazilian state with the highest proportion of land destined for conservation and sustainable use. To reach this model, the state had the support of the Acre Sustainable Development Program (PDSA), financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and led by the Government of Acre.
Divided into two phases (2003-2010 and 2013-2021), the program has become an international reference, providing various solutions to promote economic benefits and ‘bioeconomy’ in the region, fighting deforestation and protecting the biodiversity of the amazon biome.
The first phase of the project focused on strengthening environmental management, ensuring the efficient use of natural resources and promoting the growth of the forestry-agricultural sector. The second phase sought to increase the contribution of the forestry sector to economic development in a sustainable way, reduce poverty and deforestation, and promote the responsible use of natural resources.
During the first phase of the project, the Chandless State Park was created, with 695 thousand hectares, doubling the comprehensive protection areas in Acre. Then came the public forest areas of Mogno, Liberdade and Gregorio, covering approximately 461 thousand hectares. In the second phase, the Juruparí State Forest was created, with 155 thousand hectares. In total, these conservation units cover more than 1.3 million hectares; true natural treasures of the Amazon.
”In its second and most recent phase, the PDSA also supported 1,200 indigenous families with technical assistance and financial resources to develop sustainable forestry development plans in 76 thousand hectares, and another 3,500 rural families to implement sustainable production plans for chestnuts, rubber, açaí and other forest products,” said Octavio Damiani, leading specialist in Agriculture and Rural Development at the IDB.
Studies show that the income of these families increased by almost 30% compared to those who did not participate in the project. The total value of the investment was US$ 203 million, of which US$ 131 million were IDB loans and US$ 71 million were funds from the state of Acre. Approximately 14,500 people were direct beneficiaries of the program’s actions, and their income increased by 28% during phase II, compared to those who did not participate.
For the director of Regional Development of the Acre Planning Secretariat, Marky Brito, who followed all the stages of the PDSA, the project has had a profound impact on the lives of the local population.
“The program left a legacy of trained employees, a more agile and efficient governance structure, family producers capable of producing sustainably and a vast surface of preserved tropical forests, guaranteeing these valuable resources for the future generations,” he said.
The success of the Acre model demonstrates that, by valuing nature and its resources, it is possible to protect biodiversity and, at the same time, thrive economically. An example of this collaboration between Cooperacre and the PDSA was the construction of a chestnut processing plant in Xapurí, which today employs 70 people.
“Social development, environmental preservation and restoration are not divergent interests. This is a model that we are working to expand in impact and scale, in an articulated manner, under the umbrella of our Amazonia Forever program. This initiative benefits those who live in the forest and those who do not live in it, since the importance of the Amazon rainforest is global,” explained Morgan Doyle, General Manager of the IDB Southern Cone Countries Department.
Impact on the Lives of Small Producers
Thirty-three kilometers from Xapurí, in the Seringal Cachoeira, Antonio Mendes, known as Duda, cousin of Chico Mendes, has lived in this region since he was 9 years old. He has experienced the benefits of the PDSA, especially in the improvement of roads, in the professionalization of production through cooperatives and the strengthening of productive chains.
“The products are now better marketed and reach various parts of the world,” he said.
From generation to generation, the natural riches of Seringal Cachoeira, including food, are responsible for the permanence of Duda’s family: today, chestnuts and rubber also support their children and sons-in-law. The future looks bright for these communities, which continue to be key in the preservation of nature and sustainable development.
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