Unlocking Amazonia’s Bioeconomy Through Gastronomy and Resilient Food Systems  

Despite hosting over 14,000 known plant species¹ , Amazonias’s biodiversity remains significantly underutilized in commercial markets. Research shows that only about 30 native Amazonian food species regularly appear in markets², and of the 1,097 native food plant species identified in Brazil, merely 5% have achieved significant commercial scale.³  This untapped potential represents not only a missed economic opportunity for the region but also poses risks to biodiversity conservation sustainability. 

The situation facing Amazonian communities, both rural and urban, reflects a complex interplay between cultural erosion and food security challenges. The rapid loss of traditional knowledge systems represents more than just a cultural issue – it fundamentally undermines the foundation of sustainable resource use in the region. As indigenous languages and knowledge disappear, communities lose irreplaceable expertise about local ecosystems, sourcing and seasonal harvesting patterns, traditional food preservation techniques, and the properties of local plants⁴. This erosion of traditional knowledge directly impacts communities’ ability to maintain sustainable food practices that have evolved over generations. 

The transformation of local food systems adds another layer of complexity to this challenge. A comprehensive study in the Colombia-Brazil-Peru tri-frontier region tells us how traditional food systems are being rapidly displaced by processed imports. This shift not only affects nutritional inputs and outcomes but also increases community vulnerability to external shocks. The urbanization process in Amazonia is accelerating this transformation, with a marked transition from wild to domesticated food sources in the Brazilian Amazonia⁵. This change is particularly significant because traditional food systems historically provided diverse nutritional resources through a sophisticated integration of agricultural diversity and wild food harvesting. 

The vulnerability of these changing food systems becomes especially apparent during extreme climate events. Recent hydrological droughts have caused exceptional low-water anomalies across the Amazonia basin, with low-water periods lasting about a month longer than usual. These extended droughts create cascading impacts on local populations, disrupting both traditional food gathering practices and modern supply chains that deliver processed foods to remote communities. Communities that have shifted away from traditional food systems often find themselves doubly vulnerable – having lost the knowledge to rely on local resources while becoming increasingly dependent on external food supplies that are themselves highly susceptible to climate-related disruptions. 

The timing for intervention is crucial. As we move towards the first climate COP in Amazonia, there is a timely opportunity to positioning innovative socio-bioeconomy strategies. 

Introducing TasteAmazonia 

TasteAmazonia is a transformative initiative designed under the Amazonia Forever regional program to unlock the socio-economic potential of Amazonian biodiversity through sustainable gastronomy while ensuring nature conservation and community wellbeing. As part of Amazonia Forever’s comprehensive approach to regional development, TasteAmazonia operates through four integrated pillars: 

First, the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development pillar focuses on empowering entrepreneurs along the food and gastronomy value chain, with particular attention to youth and indigenous peoples. This includes comprehensive business development services and innovative financing mechanisms that reward sustainable practices. 

Second, the initiative establishes the TasteAmazonia Hubs Network – strategically located culinary establishments (restaurants, cafés, food markets, and cooking schools) serving as innovation centers where traditional knowledge holders, local producers, and both regional and international chefs collaborate. Connected through a digital platform, these Hubs facilitate knowledge sharing, documentation of traditional food practices and sourcing processes across the region. 

Third, the Regional Food Security and Climate Adaptation pillar ensures that development efforts contribute to resilient, biodiversity-based food systems. This is particularly crucial for rural populations given recent evidence of how hydrological droughts have increased the duration of low-water periods in the Amazonia basin, affecting local populations’ access to food supplies. 

The fourth pillar, Market Systems and Sustainable Trade Development, creates equitable value chains from forest to fork that leverage regional and international trade for resilient food systems and gastronomy. This component develops market systems to effectively commercialize Amazonian products through market platforms, export strategies, and territorial branding. 

Expected Impact 

Through this systemic and territorial-based approach, TasteAmazonia aims to create lasting impact by strengthening food sovereignty, creating sustainable economic opportunities, preserving traditional knowledge, protecting biodiversity, and building resilient food systems. The initiative’s emphasis on both vertical integration (forest to fork) and horizontal integration (systemic collaboration) ensures equitable benefit distribution throughout the value chain. 

TasteAmazonia represents a key initiative within the Amazonia Forever program harnessing Amazonia’s gastronomic potential while contributing to more resilient food systems.   

The TasteAmazonia initiative will be coordinated by the Amazon Coordination Unit, with specific projects led by IDB Group teams and partners. IDB Lab will spearhead the first operation, leveraging its expertise in innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem development to catalyze the initial implementation phase. 

Are you ready to TasteAmazonia? – stay tuned as COP30 approaches. 

 

References 

1. Cámara-Leret, R., & Bascompte, J. (2021). Language extinction triggers the loss of unique medicinal knowledge. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(24).  

2. Chaves, W. A., Valle, D. R., Monroe, M. C., Wilkie, D. S., Sieving, K. E., & Sadowsky, B. (2024). Urbanization and food transition in the Brazilian Amazon: From wild to domesticated meat. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  

3. Clement, C. R., et al. (2015). The domestication of Amazonia before European conquest. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 282(1812).  

4. Costa, M. L., et al. (2019). The indigenous peoples of the Brazilian Amazon: contributions to the biodiversity and management of forest resources. Forest Ecology and Management, 438.  

5. IPBES (2019). Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.  

6. Smith, N., et al. (2017). Amazon-Andes food systems: Biodiversity, livelihoods and markets. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.  

7. Ulian, T., et al. (2020). Unlocking Plant Resources to Support Food Security and Promote Sustainable Agriculture. Plants, People, Planet.  

8. Van Vliet, N., et al. (2015). Trends, drivers and impacts of changes in swidden cultivation in tropical forest-agriculture frontiers: A global assessment. Global Environmental Change, 28.