Immersion focused on role of production chains in forest conservation and strengthening of local economies based on social and biological diversity 

Between July 5 and 10, a group of journalists participated in an immersive expedition to Ituxi Extractive Reserve, organized by Sustenta.Bio, a project carried out by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) and Fundo Vale, with support from local partner organizations. The goal was to expand knowledge about the production chains of traditional Amazonian communities and the fundamental role of sustainable natural resource management for biodiversity conservation and the promotion of living standards in protected areas. 

Ituxi Extractive Reserve is a Federal Conservation Area created in 2008, covering more than 770,000 hectares of preserved Amazon Rainforest. It is located in the municipality of Lábrea in southern Amazonas, on the edge of the “Deforestation Arc” between the states of Amazonas, Acre and Rondônia. The extractive reserve is located in a strategic location for habitat conservation, surrounded by other protected areas, including five Indigenous Lands, a National Forest and a National Park. 

The extractive reserve’s management model combines biodiversity protection with the promotion of traditional ways of life. Around 600 people live in the reserve, organized into more than 10 communities. They carry out sustainable activities such as pirarucu fish farming, nut collection, copaiba oil extraction, cassava cultivation and flour production, as well as protecting turtles and managing agroforestry systems. 

The extractive reserve faces challenges associated with the advance of cattle ranching, agribusiness and illegal logging, in addition to the pressures of climate change. In this context, its operating model is a crucial conservation and development strategy, promoting economic alternatives that combine environmental, social and economic benefits. 

“We visited communities, saw the sustainable management of natural resources close up and participated in discussions on local challenges and opportunities. These activities allowed the journalists to learn about experiences involving community organization, product processing, participatory governance, and strengthening of social and biological diversity production chains,” said Márcia Soares, Fundo Vale’s Amazon and partnerships manager.  

The following organizations collaborated in the immersion: Operation Native Amazon, the Amazon Conservation and Sustainable Development Institute (Idesam), the Development Institute, the Ituxi Extractive Reserve Producers’ Association and the Ituxi Reserve Residents’ Association. 

Click here to find out more about Sustenta.Bio, an alliance that is working to strengthen social and biological diversity economies in protected areas.