Nestled within the heart of the world’s most diverse rainforest, the Amazon basin offers more than just a breathtaking display of biodiversity. Among its lush foliage and winding waterways is a treasure trove of unique and exotic fruits. These Amazonian fruits offer not only a burst of vibrant flavors, but also a rich cultural, ecological, and economic significance.

Fruits are a vital product in facilitating local and regional markets across the Amazon Basin. Production of these fruits can greatly affect local livelihoods, and improve the stability of communities, governments, and buyers. For instance, to support local producers and buyers, our Bolivian sister organization Conservación Amazónica-ACEAA supported the launch of a major inter-institutional platform called the Inter-Institutional Platform for the Articulation of Amazonian Fruit Production Complexes (PICFA), that helps producers inform and coordinate more seamlessly with government institutions whose policy decisions can to react to changes in the market, climate, and other issues. This platform brings together sustainable producers, buyers, governments, local non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders across the department of Pando in Bolivia, to provide vital updates and information important for maintaining the quality of the fruit market processes.

These Amazonian fruits produced by many associations ACEAA works with have been revered for their potential health benefits, boasting a wealth of nutrients and antioxidants that offer a glimpse into the intricate relationship between the rainforest ecosystem and human well-being. We’ll explore the unique flavors of these nutritional powerhouses and how they contribute to the overall health of consumers.

 

Brazil Nut

These flagship products come from the Madre de Dios region in Peru, where there is a high concentration of trees for harvesting at an economic scale. They are the only species in the global nut market whose production is not cultivated, and can only be harvested in the wild. Harvesting season is between December through March, and can be eaten raw, or toasted.

Nutrients: Selenium, vitamin E, copper, linoleic acid, magnesium

 

 

Açaí

Açaí berries are produced in dense branch clusters called ‘panicles’ that contain 500 to 900 fruits each. There is also a green variety called Açaí Tinga that only grows in one Amazon estuary. Asaí Euterpre Precatoria is the species most found in the Bolivian Amazon and has a greater concentration of nutrients. These special fruits have a small window for freshness once harvested, which is why imported Açaí products are often found in powdered or frozen forms. Recently, the growth in Açaí’s popularity predicts the market for this product to reach 1.7 billion by 2028

Nutrients: vitamins A, C and E, omega fatty acids, antioxidants, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper

 

Cacao

You may know Cacao as a wonderful source of chocolate, but did you know it also is one of the richest antioxidants on earth? These tropical fruits grow in altitudes of 30 – 300 m, and its trees produce roughly 70 fruits annually. There are two ‘flush’ harvesting seasons that last from October to February, and May to August. Upon harvesting, its seeds are fermented for 1-7 before being dried, roasted, and either ground to a powder or winnowed into nibs. Not only is cacao useful for consumption, but cacao trees are also considered a shade crop that provides habitat for other plants and animals.

Nutrients: Potassium, antioxidants, Iron, Copper, Magnesium, Manganese

 

Aguaje

Aguaje is the fruit of the Moriche palm found throughout swamps across South America. The fruit offers a variety of flavor combinations, being sweet, salty, and mildly acidic. Some describe the taste as being similar to carrots when eaten raw. The palm goes by various names based on the country, including canangucho (Colombia), morete (Ecuador), or aguaje (Peru), and Palma Real (Bolivia).

These fruits have been harvested for thousands of years and continue to be one of the most regionally popular fruits within the jungle market. In previous years, the trees were cut down upon harvesting, but conservationists have worked to provide climbing harnesses to allow for a more sustainable and efficient method of harvesting.

Nutrients: vitamins A, E, and C, Manganese, Copper

Copoazú

Also known as cupuaçu, Copoazú is the national fruit of Brazil. This fruit is closely related to Cacao and emits an aroma of pineapple and chocolate when opened. Many have described it as tasting similar to chocolate with notes of tropical melon flavors. The seed can also be harvested to make butter that is good for skin and hair health.

Nutrients: Vitamin C, linoleic acid, antioxidants, iron, calcium, vitamin B3, and pectin.

 

 

Learn more about these fruits and the function of PICFA>

 

In 2017, Mennonite colonies began appearing in various regions of the Peruvian Amazon. Mennonites are a global religious group starting around the 1600s and often rely on agriculture as an industrialized activity.

Based on a number of reports, Mennonites have now become one of the major drivers of deforestation across the Peruvian and Bolivian Amazon. There is a significant amount of evidence showing that this mass-scale deforestation is illegal, and is being investigated by the Peruvian government.

Over 7,000 hectares (17,376 acres) have already been deforested by 5 Mennonite colonies since 2017, and an additional 1,600 burned. In total, more than ⅓ of this destruction has occurred from January 2022 to August 2023.

MAAP is currently using the information from these reports to identify specific colonies and gain more insight on the exact scale of negative forest impacts. 

Read the full report here>

 

 

Earlier this month, representatives from eight South American countries came together for the first time in 14 years for the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) summit. These renewed meetings hosted by the previously dormant organization show the rebirth of a movement to stop deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest on a multinational scale. Brazilian President Lula Da Silva highlighted that deforestation in Brazil has already decreased by an astounding 66% in one year, and hopes to continue efforts in protecting the continent’s vast, diverse forests that not only house incredibly diverse species, but local and indigenous communities that depend on its natural resources.

Regional leaders of Amazonian countries convened in Belém, Brazil for this special session, and although the meeting of powers did not result in any hard deadlines or funding strategies, the summit allowed for the drafting of the Belém Declaration, containing 113 points of consensus on how to strengthen ACTO in the future while outlining key objectives of the organization. To the delight of many, one major focus of the Declaration was the protection of indigenous rights and the need to amplify indigenous voices in regional governance.  The agreement calls for an Amazon-wide institution to facilitate communication between indigenous communities and national governments as well as investment in education programs in the Amazon centered around indigenous knowledge and empowerment. In line with other international agreements such as the Escazú Agreement and the Leticia Pact, this declaration reaffirms the importance of protecting the rights of indigenous communities. 

Many environmental groups hope the Belém talks are laying the groundwork for future cooperation and regional solidarity in international forums. Another summit occurring simultaneously, United for Our Forests, saw the 8 Amazonian nations join with other rainforest countries in Southeast Asia and Central Africa, to advocate for developing nations to provide $100 billion in climate financing immediately, and $200 billion by 2030. Additionally, A united front of Amazonian nations at COP 28 may be more likely to succeed in securing international funding to halt deforestation. Between the United for Our Forests request, and lack of deadlines in the Belém Declaration, Amazonian nations seem to be signaling that they are willing to implement change, but need more financial resources to begin substantial, multilateral projects. 

Despite progress being made, some observers are calling for more concrete measures to be taken. The Brazilian Indigenous People Articulation (APIB) called the result of the summit ‘frustrating,’ and demanded that politicians back up rhetoric with demarcation of indigenous lands. Still, Belém represents a vital first step in expanding international conservation efforts across the Amazon. With the groundwork laid for greater cooperation, we can hope for greater regional alignment and progress in future international negotiations.

 

Amazon Conservation is proud to join the Nature Crime Alliance and several leading conservation NGOs in the Vancouver Statement on Nature Crime, as a sign of our commitment to combatting environmental crimes.

This statement reads as follows:

“Today, we are joining together to form the Nature Crime Alliance – a new, multi-sector approach to fighting criminal forms of logging, mining, wildlife trade, land conversion, crimes associated with fishing, and the illegal activities with which they converge. 

Nature crime constitutes one of the largest illicit economies in the world, inflicting devastation and destruction upon people and the planet. We recognize that these crimes cannot be eradicated without multi-sector cooperation and that there is a pressing need for greater coordination and collaboration among the diverse actors fighting nature crime. A new approach is needed.  

We have formed the Alliance in recognition of this need, with members including representatives from governments, law enforcement, international organizations, civil society organizations, front-line defenders including Indigenous Peoples and local communities, donors, and the private sector.  

We will work together, through the Alliance, to raise political will, mobilize financial commitment, and strengthen operational capacity to fight nature crime. Through a range of initiatives – from solutions-focused working groups convening representatives across different sectors to structured communications channels that enable open dialogue and the sharing of best practices – the Alliance is building a new, international, collaborative response to nature crime.  

This is the first time that such a multi-sector approach to this global challenge has been developed on this scale, with the Alliance marking a key moment in the fight against nature crime. We encourage governments and organizations that share our determination to end environmental injustice and protect people and the planet to join us in the Nature Crime Alliance.”

To read more about the Nature Crime Alliance, click here.

Last month, ACA’s second Norad-sponsored workshop “II Encuentro” was held in Tena, Ecuador to share experiences and evaluate our satellite monitoring program MAAP across the Amazon basin. This workshop brought together organizations and indigenous groups from Peru and Ecuador such as Fundación EcoCiencia, FENEMAD (Native Federation of the Madre de Dios River and Tributaries), and local representatives from the indigenous Shuar-Arutam and Waorani communities to discuss and improve the use of MAAP, as well as how to increase local capacities and engaging governments to apply the law.

In Ecuador, satellite monitoring is handled by Fundación EcoCiencia, which seeks to reduce deforestation and forest crime by creating a network that supports regional monitoring efforts throughout the Amazon.​ Fundación EcoCiencia has a direct relationship with the community monitors of the Shuar Arutam People and the Waorani Territory, who carry out community monitoring activities through platforms that receive information from provided technologies. Subsequently, technical reports are produced and made available to the proper authorities within the indigenous communities. 

Similarly in Peru, oversight offices across the Amazonian region have significant legal support and enact protocols for alerts through the National Forestry and Wildlife Service (SERFOR), which recognizes them as a technical unit established within the indigenous communities and organizations to provide technical advice in the forestry and environmental field. These precautions are being taken to build a national community monitoring and surveillance system, with the support and recognition of environmental authorities to work alongside monitoring these efforts. As many threats and pressures on Amazon persist, strengthening the legal framework and visualizing strategies for satellite monitoring in indigenous communities is critical.​

​As the evaluation of methodologies for analyzing satellite images, data, map monitoring, systems implementation, and use of technological tools carried on, communication processes were also discussed to facilitate decision-making and to consolidate more timely, accessible, and precise work to combat these threats. Likewise, promoting the development of joint and technological work, based on each experience, allows us to reinforce and improve these processes.

For these five days, those who took part in the analysis of MAAP learned from the experiences that each partner holds in their own countries, through the study of satellite images on deforestation, and other pressures on Amazon forests.

 

There’s definitely a way. Your will is your way to protect your loved ones, ensure your wishes are honored, and even make a lasting impact in the Amazon through your legacy. 

August is Make-A-Will month and as a supporter of Amazon Conservation, you’ve seen firsthand how we can work together to support the conservation of the world’s most diverse ecosystem. Now, you have the chance to join 40 other Amazon Conservation supporters in leaving behind a legacy to protect the precious biodiversity of the Amazon, empower local communities, and continue our conservation efforts to inspire future generations of conservationists.

Thanks to help from our partner FreeWill, you can get access to the best estate planning tool for free! By creating your will this month, you’ll make a way to protect your loved ones and ensure a thriving future for the Amazon. In just 20 minutes, you can join thousands who are making a will this month to create your own will by:

• Dictating your vision for the future, and for the future of your assets
• Showing your loved ones just how much you care about them
• Creating a sustainable, lasting impact on Amazon Conservation’s mission to unite science, innovation, and people to protect the greatest wild forest on Earth.

Make a will >

As the saying goes, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” FreeWill’s tool guides you through each step of writing your will, you’ll have the option to make a planned gift of any amount to Amazon Conservation. By committing just 5-10% of their estate to our mission, many donors choose to build an incredibly impactful legacy with Amazon Conservation while ensuring their loved ones are also taken care of. By using this service, you’ll get lifetime access to make updates and changes to your plan at no cost.

This August, join the growing number of supporters who have planted a seed for a future where the Amazon continues to thrive as a source of life, inspiration, and natural wonder! 

Your dedication continues to be a beacon of hope for the Amazon. Together, we can ensure this vibrant source of life and natural wonder continues to flourish for future generations.

 

 

Our Bolivian sister organization  Conservación Amazonica – ACEAA has been working with the Autonomous Municipal Government of Cobija (GAMC) to help protect and manage the main natural water resources in Cobija.

Following a presentation of the project “PROTECTING THE BAY STREAM, WE GUARANTEE WATER FOR COBIJA”, a video presentation and storybook were created to raise awareness for these efforts to strengthen these areas through the Natural Area of Integrated Management of the Bay Stream Basin (ANGICAB) project.

“Healing the Water” is the story of Bruno, a curious child who arrives in the Bolivian Amazon and decides to search for the truth. Download this story HERE,  and immerse yourself and your family in conserving our forests and natural resources like water.

Click HERE to watch the video presentation of the Natural Area of Comprehensive Management of the Basin of the Creek Bay (ANGICAB), where its riches and importance are communicated.

Both materials were created by Conservación Amazonica – ACEAA, with support from the Andes Amazon Fund, to bring awareness to the pollution and environmental degradation in the capital of the Amazon department of Pando and surrounding cities, as well as the Natural Area of Comprehensive Management of the Arroyo Bay Basin (ANGICAB) located near the capital of Cobija.

 

A major roadblock that Amazonian communities face to protect their natural resources and territories is the lack of knowledge and access to legal support. To help fight environmental crimes and empower local people to actively participate in legal processes against forest crimes, our sister organization Conservación Amazónica – ACCA has launched Peru’s first Amazon Legal Clinic.

The Amazon Legal Clinic, created with the support of the Amazonía Que Late Network, connects young attorneys with local people who want to file a deforestation claim or report a forest crime. It enables local people to receive pro-bono support while the attorneys support the conservation of the Amazon. The clinic provides free legal advice, representation, and assistance in criminal and administrative matters for people in the Ucayali, Loreto, San Martín, Amazonas, Cusco, and Huánuco regions.

This transformative initiative will help those affected by forest crimes, such as illegal mining, deforestation, illegal logging, or wildlife trafficking, to have access to the support they need to report the crime and help action be taken on the ground. “Without legal support, many local people end up never reporting environmental crimes. By providing this service for free, we can support our forest guardians and indigenous peoples to take action,” says Claudia Castillo, an attorney at Conservación Amazónica – ACCA.

Recently, our Bolivian sister organization Conservación Amazónica – ACEAA held the Jaguar-People Conflict Mitigation Action Plan socialization workshop at the Manuripi – Abuná Conservation Corridor in Pando, Bolivia. The aim was to forge an alliance meant to protect and preserve this fantastic species and its habitat in Pando. This event discussed governance, knowledge management, awareness, and mitigation strategies.

The Alliance for Jaguar Conservation in Pando brings together prominent entities such as the Pando Government, the Secretariat of Mother Earth, Pando Amazon University, Departmental Assembly, Manuripi Amazon National Wildlife Reserve, Environmental Forest Police (POFOMA), WWF Bolivia, WCS Bolivia and Conservación Internacional Bolivia.

This initiative is a fundamental part of the project “Monitoring with Trap Cameras and Mitigation of Human Conflict – Jaguar in Natural Spaces Conservation of the Panda Department”, funded by WWF Bolivia and executed by Amazon Conservation ACEAA.

In the last two years, radar monitoring has proven to be an especially effective tool in the fight against illegal gold mining in the Amazon. While imaging satellites can be blocked by clouds or smoke, radar technology allows satellites to measure changes on the earth’s surface regardless of cloud cover. In 2021, our Peruvian sister organization Conservación Amazónica – ACCA, worked closely with SERVIR-Amazonia to develop and launch a specialized tool called RAMI (Radar Mining Monitoring Tool), which utilizes radar technology to discover illegal mining deforestation as soon as it happens. Since its launch, ACCA has successfully trained government officials, indigenous peoples, and other land defenders in the use of this technology, saving countless acres of forest by enhancing access to actionable information in an unprecedented way.

Now, ACCA is helping to expand the use of this crucial technology to the rest of the Amazon. Peruvian experts recently traveled to the Brazilian state of Pará to work with government employees of SEMAS (Brazil’s Secretary of the Environment and Sustainability) to implement a system for the application of RAMI in the Tapajós region. Sidney Novoa, the Director of GIS at Conservación Amazónica – ACCA (pictured below left), emphasized the similarities between Tapajós in Pará and Madre de Dios in Peru, an area where monitoring technology has been especially effective at mitigating deforestation. The intersection of national parks, indigenous lands, and conservation areas with land designated for mining yields a similar pattern of conflict and confusion regarding land use disputes. However, the similarity also indicates that our knowledge of the tools utility in Madre de Dios should transfer well to Tapajós.

Mauro O’ de Almeida, Secretary of SEMAS, highlighted that the Tapajós region was chosen for the operation of RAMI due to its high illegal gold mining activity. The Secretary hopes that this tool will address the problem of illegal mining in general, a major obstacle to environmental management in Pará, which harms the economy and natural resources.

In this way, the tool will reinforce SEMAS’ strategy for environmental oversight and monitoring, not only to combat illegal mining but also to supervise licensed companies and protect the environment and communities that depend on these natural resources. Additionally, this technology will be shared with other federal agencies in the state of Pará, such as the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation and IBAMA (the Brazillian Institute of Environment and Renewable Resources), to strengthen the fight against illegal mining and ensure the sustainability of the Amazon.