Socio-environmental assessments of non-wood forest product extraction in the Amazon Region

> Socio-environmental assessments of non-wood forest product extraction in the Amazon Region

NATURA is the largest Brazilian company in the cosmetics sector and pursued development of a product line (EKOS) using non-wood forest products extracted on a sustainable basis, mostly from the Amazon forest. Between August 2000 and November 2002, JGP assisted NATURA through development of social and environmental sustainability analysis of rural and/or indigenous communities with potential to become suppliers. This included detailed baseline work with a strong anthropological focus, coupled to detailed biological assessments of forest resources to be exploited and limits of sustainable extraction. The assessments also focused on verification of compliance with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) principles.

In total, seven non-wood products and associated communities were assessed in order to establish the probable environmental and social impacts of supplying to NATURA on a long-term basis. These assessments covered an equally diverse set of non-wood forest products:

Andiroba oil extraction at the Rio Jutaí Reservation (RESEX) – Jutaí Municipality – State of Amazonas
Andiroba oil extraction at the Mid Juruá Reservation (RESEX) in Carauari Municipality – State of Amazonas
Cupuaçu oil extraction at the Vila Nova California Reservation (RESEX) – Porto Velho Municipality – State of Rondônia
Brazil Nut (Castanha do Pará) oil extraction at the Iratapuru River Reservation (RESEX) – State of Amapá.
Mate verde extraction in the native forest of Xanxerê – State of Santa Catarina
Buriti oil extraction - Palmeiras area – State of Piauí
Cumaru oil extraction – Santarém area – State of Pará

Detailed forest management plans were also prepared for castanha do Pará oil extraction at the Iratapuru River Reservation and for buriti oil extraction at Palmeiras do Piauí, leading to FSC certification in the first case.