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Project

Value Chains of Nontimber Forest Products

SOS Amazonia Association

Project official website
Total project value
R$ 10,202,517.05
Total support amount
US$ 3,827,611.87
Concluded

Presentation

Objective

Disseminate and support entrepreneurial initiatives in nine agglutinated institutions with a view to generating jobs and income through the sustainable development of the production chains of vegetable oils, wild cocoa and rubber

Beneficiary

Family farmers, extractivists, riverside, and indigenous people

Territorial scope

Six municipalities in the state of Acre: Cruzeiro do Sul, Mâncio Lima, Rodrigues Alves, Porto Walter, Tarauacá, and Feijó; and four municipalities in the state of Amazonas: Pauini, Boca do Acre, Lábrea, and Silves

Description

Project selected in the first Amazon Fund’s direct public call-to-submission of sustainable productive projects

CONTEXTUALIZATION

The municipalities of the Juruá river region in Acre and southern Amazonas form a corridor with similar forest resources (wild cocoa, oilseeds, and rubber), in an area of approximately 206 thousand km². The opportunity to facilitate the exchange of experiences in these three production chains was identified by SOS Amazon, an organization created in 1988 with the mission of promoting the conservation of biodiversity and the growth of environmental awareness in the Amazon.

THE PROJECT

The project was selected through the Public Call for Sustainable Productive Projects, in 2012, within the scope of the Amazon Fund. The public call was intended to select projects in the “aggregating” modality, i.e., enterprises managed by an institution (“aggregated”) and composed of sub-projects from other institutions (“executors” or “aggregated”).

SOS Amazon, selected as an aggregating institution, mobilized nine aggregated institutions to support sustainable production activities in the vegetable oil, wild cocoa, and rubber production chains in six municipalities in the state of Acre and four in the state of Amazonas.

In addition to physical investments in sustainable production units, the project supported technical assistance and rural and forestry extension for the aggregated and their associates, the certification of products and enterprises, and the development of new markets and commercial partnerships.

INTERVENTION LOGIC

The project is part of the “Sustainable Production” component (1) of the Amazon Fund Logical Framework. Its direct effects were defined as follows: (1.1) extractive production of cocoa, rubber, and oilseeds structured in nine community organizations; (1.2) cocoa, rubber, and oilseed chains with expanded added value in nine community organizations; and (1.3) expanded managerial and technical capacities for extractive production and processing cocoa, rubber, and oilseeds and the implementation of agroforestry systems.

The project’s activities contributed to strengthen the region’s socio-biodiversity product chains. The supported actions contributed to enhance the value of the standing forest by promoting the generation of income for local populations with environmental sustainability, directly contributing to the general objective of the Amazon Fund to “reduce deforestation with sustainable development in the Brazilian Amazon.”

Click on the following image to view its objectives tree, that is, how the project's outputs and linked to the expected outcomes and impact.

_objectives-tree

 

 

 

Evolution

Date of approval 01.27.2015
Date of the contract 05.13.2015
Date of conclusion 12.31.2021
Disbursement period 36 months (from the date the contract was signed)
approval
01.27.2015
award
05.13.2015
conclusion
12.31.2021

Disbursement

date amount
1º disbursements 07.28.2015 R$1,641,690.00
2º disbursements 06.27.2016 R$1,893,000.00
3º disbursements 02.22.2017 R$3,089,510.49
4º disbursements 11.28.2017 R$3,328,799.51
5º disbursements 09.30.2021 -R$14,223.00
Total amount disbursed R$9,938,777.00

Total amount disbursed in relation to the Amazon Fund’s support

100%

ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED

The activities were distributed in a set of actions transversal to the nine aggregated institutions, in addition to a block of specific actions for each of them.

With regard to the Technical Assistance and Rural and Forestry Extension (Aterf) activities, during the project there were about 3,800 technical visits to the nine aggregated organizations and producers, with a focus on good management
practices, processing, storage, and transport of products from the native cocoa, oilseed (murumuru, buriti, cocão, açaí and copaíba), rubber chains as well as in the implementation, management, and mapping of SAFs.

SAF units were installed in the dimensions between 0.5 ha and 1.0 ha, benefiting 177 families in a total area of 121 ha. In addition, 89 thousand seedlings were produced in community nurseries. The main planted species were açai, cocoa, buruti, andiroba, cupuaçu, soursop, bacaba, mahogany, copaíba, cajarana, acerola, avocado, and citrus.

The project also supported the elaboration of management plans for non-timber activities in six organizations: Coopercintra, Coopfrutos, Coapex, Pushuã, Caet, and Cooperafe. The activities included the use of information from forest inventories, the description and location of family forest management units, the productivity estimate
of the managed areas, the list of managers included in the survey, the characterization of the target species of the plans, and, finally, the recommendations for good management practices. Over 10,500 hectares of forest were inventoried and 31,354 individuals from eight forest species, especially the rubber tree, were mapped.

As for the actions related to the certification of the products, the organizations able to receive organic certification for the European and North American markets were identified and the Organic Certification and Forest Garden Products (FGP) seal was applied¹. Visits were made to the family units, training, a good handling and processing practices workshop was given, as well as a specific workshop on organic and extractive certification and a fair market for the representatives of the nine organizations.

All activities had technical assistance from a company specialized in the audit and certification of cooperatives and their products. Not all aggregated entities were considered fit to receive certification at the time the project was executed and four of them were audited and obtained certification of compliance with the rules of organic production of wild cocoa, buriti, andiroba, tucumã, patauá, açai, breu, cumaru, paurosa, and murumuru.

In parallel to the certification activities, two foreign market studies were carried out, one of them aimed at marketing opportunities for vegetable oils, soaps made using Amazonian oils and FDL rubber,² in four European countries (Germany, France, England, and Italy). The second study aimed to explore the market for fine and specialty cocoa
in the United States. The work included defining product quality standards, preparing processing manuals, and sending samples to previously identified customers.

In the component focused on the organizational strengthening of the aggregated entities and the value chain support network, annual workshops were given for a broader audience (communities, collectors, etc.) and specific workshops for the development of themes related to project management. In all, 63 workshops were held that trained 777 people, 38% women, 21% young people, 10% indigenous people, and 29% land reform settlers.

Also in this component, four seminars of institutional integration, assessment, and participatory planning were held, in which it was possible to jointly assess the technical and financial execution of the project.

In addition to the activities carried out in the transversal components, each of the nine aggregated organizations received resources for fixed investments and other actions specific to their needs and skills to be developed.

Some of the worth mentioning investments are: (i) implementation of a plant for extraction of the vegetable oils and fats; (ii) acquisition of equipment for an existing oil extraction plant and for use in two plants for vegetable oil and fat based soap; (iii) construction of twenty rubber processing and drying units (UPS); (iv) construction of a pre-processing unit for seeds and fruits of oilseed species; (v) construction of three centers for the production of native cocoa; (vi) acquisition of various equipment, such as fruit pulper, breaker, and rotary dryer for fruits, stainless steel tank for oil collection, 4 x 4 vehicle, aluminum boat and vessel engine, latex extraction and murumuru collection kits,
hydraulic rams for nurseries, and the acquisition of almond drying barges.

¹ The Forest Garden Products (FGP) certification was created in 1987 and, since 2014, has been part of the family of certification standards recognized by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). Available at: http://www.analogforestry.org/wpsite/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/FGP-A4-version-baja.pdf and https://www.ifoam.bio/our-work/how/standards-certification.
² Liquid smoking sheet is an innovative technique that gives greater value to rubber in its production inside the forest, replacing the traditional drying processes.

 

Final Evaluation

Result and impact indicators

The project activities contributed to the results related to the “Sustainable Production” component (1) of the Amazon Fund Logical Framework.

Below are the results of some of the indicators agreed to monitor the expected direct effects.

Direct effect (1.1) – Extractive production of cocoa, rubber, and oilseeds structured in nine community organizations:

  • Number of individuals directly benefited by the project (outcome indicator)
    Target: 1,200 | Final result: 2,200
  • Number of women directly benefited by the project (outcome indicator)
    Target: 300 | Final Result: 850
  • Number of indigenous people directly benefited by the project (outcome indicator)
    Target: 200 | Final Result: 140
  • Number of settlers directly benefited by the project (outcome indicator)
    Target: 200 | Final Result: 645

The project had a wide territorial scope, working directly in protected areas (Purus National Forest, Arapixi Extractive Reserve, and the Japiim-Pentecoste Area of Relevant Ecological Interest), indigenous lands (IL Arara do Igarapé Humaitá and IL Camicuã), settlements, and riverine areas around protected areas (PA). The results achieved in the above mentioned indicators presented far exceeded the agreed upon target, with the exception of the number of indigenous people benefited by the project.

  • Gross revenue obtained from the sale of products of extractive origin by the nine community organizations supported (outcome indicator)

Baseline

Target

Result

Fine cocoa: R$ 35,750.00

50% change over baseline

Fine cocoa: R$ 219,147.50 (+ 513%)

Oilseeds: R$ 44,000.00

Oilseeds: R$ 973,720.0 (+ 2,113%)

Rubber: R$ 66.173,00

Rubber: R$ 363,289.80 (+ 449%)

Source: BNDES, based on information received from projects

The goals of this indicator were agreed upon in the form of a percentage change over the baseline values (2014). To understand the expressiveness of the results achieved in value, the consolidated gross revenue in 2019², the last year of calculation, reached R$ 1.5 million, compared to R$ 145.9 thousand in the baseline. Revenue from sales of soap has not yet been recorded because the two organizations with investments in this chain had their projects finalized in the last months of the project execution.

Amount received per family due to the sale of extractive products in natura (outcome indicator)

Baseline (R$ per sack)

Target

Result

Murumuru: R$ 20.00/sack

40% change over baseline

Murumuru: R$ 40.00/sack (+ 100%)

CVP Rubber:* R$ 5.00/kg

CVP Rubber: R$ 6.00/kg (+ 20%)

FDL Rubber: R$ 7.00/kg

FDL Rubber: R$ 10.5/kg (+ 50%)

Source: BNDES, based on information received from projects
* CVP: Virgin Pressed Cernambi

Direct effect (1.2) – Chains of cocoa, rubber, and oilseeds with increased added value in nine community organizations:

  • Market studies carried out (output indicator)
    Target: 3 | Final Result: 2
  • Certification of community organizations and their products such as extractive origin, organic production, and fair market (outcome indicator)
    Target: 9 | Final Result: 4

Four of the aggregated organizations underwent auditing and obtained organic certification for several products. This certification provides consumers with quality assurance, in addition to adding value to production by improving sales value.

  • Established sales partnerships (outcome indicator)
    Target: 9 | Final Result: 9

Actions related to the marketing strategy are fundamental to consolidate the value chains of sustainable production. Throughout the execution of the project, the aggregated organizations had the opportunity, made possible by an international partner company, to participate in BIOFACH 2018, an annual fair held in Nuremberg, Germany, considered the largest organic products fair in the world¹.

Direct effect (1.3) Expanded managerial and technical capacities for the extractive production and processing of cocoa, rubber, and oilseeds and the implementation of agroforestry systems:

  • Number of individuals trained for associations and cooperatives (output indicator)
    Target: 675 | Final Result: 777
  • Number of individuals trained for associations and cooperatives effectively using
    the knowledge acquired (outcome indicator)
    Target: 90 | Final Result: 171
  • Number of individuals participating in awareness-raising events or integrating
    events (output indicator)
    Target: 900 | Final Result: 2,400

The results achieved by the set of training and awareness activities, far superior to the targets, reflect the degree of commitment of the executing organizations and the visibility that the project managed to project in the routine of the families involved.

The following table shows the rate of deforestation in the last seven years in the states of Acre and Amazonas, with an increase in the relative participation of these two states in the total deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon. Reversal of this trajectory depends, among other factors, on the continuity of projects aimed at the protection and sustainable use of the forest, combined with actions to monitor and combat illegal deforestation.

Deforestation (km2)

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Acre

309

264

372

257

444

682

706

871

Amazonas

500

712

1,129

1,001

1,045

1,434

1,512

2,347

Brazilian Amazon

5,012

6,207

7,893

6,947

7,536

10,129

10,851

13,235

AC and AM total (%)

16.1%

15.7%

19.0%

18.1%

19.8%

20.9%

20.4%

24.3%

Source: http://www.obt.inpe.br/OBT/assuntos/programas/amazonia/prodes

Institutional and administrative aspects

The SOS Amazon Association acted as an aggregating entity for nine other coexecutive organizations directly benefiting from the project’s support, listed below: (i) Cooperative of Natural Products of the Amazon (Copronat); (ii) Association of Rural Female Workers United for Freedom, Humanity and Love of the Nova Cintra Community (Amuralhas); (iii) Cooperative of Producers of Family Agriculture and Solidarity Economy of Nova Cintra; (iv) Cooperative of Natural Producers of the Forest (Cooperfrutos); (v) Agroextractivist Cooperative of Porto Walter (Coapex); (vi) Agroextractivist Cooperative of Mapiá and Médio Purus (Cooperar); (vii) Agroextractivist Cooperative Shawãdawa Pushuã (Casp); (viii) Agroextractivist Cooperative of Tarauacá (Caet); and (ix) Cooperative of Production and Marketing of Agroextractivist Products of Feijó (Cooperafe).

Partnerships were established with the Technology Foundation of Acre (Funtac), with the objective of providing technological support to aggregated and guidelines for good management practices, and with Sema, which made it possible to extend direct resources from other sources to aggregated, such as the Sustainable Development
Program of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

In partnership with Sebrae, WWF-Brazil and Universidade Federal do Acre (Ufac), a discussion group was created on the vegetable oil chain in the region and the means to strengthen it.

Risks and lessons learned

The experience of the aggregating organization is a decisive factor in the execution of projects involving partner institutions with less managerial capacity and organizational maturity. Some of the risks identified in the project design
materialized throughout the execution, such as: (i) change in administrative management and in part of the executing teams and (ii) little experience of the aggregated in the management of higher value financial resources. These difficulties required closer monitoring by the SOS Amazon Association and were part of the management evolution process of the aggregated.

Sustainability of results

The actions supported were focused on sustainable production and income generation for local populations. Overcoming the goals agreed upon by the group of aggregated organizations through the project suggests that the investments were effective, which contributes to the results achieved to be sustained over time.

The results achieved by the various training actions benefited the target audience of the project, expanding their knowledge on the implementation of SAFs and sustainable management. This training tends to produce lasting and widespread effects as the SAFs consolidate as an income option for these populations.

An indicator that, although not part of the monitoring plan, is illustrative of the local mobilization induced by the project concerns the number of members/associates of the nine aggregated organizations, which increased by 59% in the period between 2015 and 2020.

Finally, it is worth mentioning the fact that one of the nine aggregated organizations is Amuralhas, an association of working women. Promoting gender equality is one of the objectives of sustainable development (SDG 5) and one of the priorities of the Amazon Fund’s action, especially in sustainable production projects. In a study published on the Fund’s website in 2019,63 it was found that, by increasing their income through participation in sustainable production activities, women internalize new skills, new knowledge, rights and opportunities, which translates into strengthening the sustainability of projects.

¹ Available at: https://www.biofach.de/en
² Available at: http://www.amazonfund.gov.br/export/sites/default/en/.galleries/documentos/library/Giz-Gender-Study.pdf

Collection

In this area we offer some PDF files with the main publications generated by the project. Click the filename to start the download.