Forest Assistance Program +

Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS)

Código do projeto: 5656683

back

Total project value: R$ 31,518,490.00
Total support amount: US$ 8,786,621.50

organization type: Third Sector

Themes: Conservation units

Location: Amazonas

Axises: Land use planning; Sustainable production

Concluded

Topo

Topo

Presentation

Objective

To continue and expand the actions of the Bolsa Floresta program in protected areas (PA) in Amazonas state, through: (i) supporting the development of small enterprises and sustainable forest production arrangements; (ii) leadership training and strengthening of local associations for the management of projects with emphasis on income generation and environmental and social concerns; (iii) systematization and dissemination of content, methodologies, lessons learned and innovative solutions; and (iv) execution and implementation of public call for small and medium income generating projects in the surrounding region of those UCs

Beneficiary

Population of the protected areas (PA) included in the project, mainly riverside dwellers in poverty or extreme poverty

Territorial scope

16 state protected areas (PA) in the Amazonas State with about 10.9 million hectares

Description

CONTEXTUALIZATION

The state of Amazonas has the largest territorial extent of protected areas in Brazil, with the equivalent of 54.8% of its territory legally protected. Of this total, 19 million hectares are state conservation units (UCs). However, the creation of a sustainable-use conservation unit does not guarantee environmental preservation, as several other management, monitoring, and, most importantly, forest asset valorization initiatives are required to make its maintenance attractive.

It is important to consider that the lack of employment and income-generation opportunities makes deforestation one of the survival strategies in the region. This makes it necessary to implement programs and projects that offer sustainable economic alternatives to local residents in order to reduce deforestation pressures. In this context, an effective strategy involves the development of an economy based on products derived from sustainable forest management.

The Bolsa Floresta Program (PBF), implemented by the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS) since 2007, contributes to enabling this strategy by providing payments for environmental services and products to traditional communities for the sustainable management of natural resources, conservation, environmental protection, and incentives for voluntary policies to reduce deforestation.

FAS is a non-governmental organization (NGO) based in the state of Amazonas. In 2010, it had its first project approved under the Amazon Fund, aimed at supporting the implementation of PBF actions in the income and association categories. This was accomplished through the development of sustainable economic activities to generate income and improve the quality of life of traditional forest populations, as well as the strengthening of community associations and capacity-building for the planning and management of collective enterprises.

THE PROJECT

The “Bolsa Floresta+ Program” supported 16 sustainable-use Conservation Units (UCs) in the state of Amazonas through:

continuing actions under the Bolsa Floresta Income component, by providing technical assistance for sustainable management and making direct investments (equipment, infrastructure, and facilities) to increase the production scale of small community enterprises. The program also supported initiatives that improved market access for products and services from 16 sustainable productive chains in the region, such as the preparation of business plans, product development and certifications, as well as technical assistance;
strengthening the representative associations of the UCs under the Bolsa Floresta Association component, through financial support for both structural activities (repairs to headquarters, purchase of equipment) and for the organization of assemblies, meetings, and other expenses necessary to ensure that decision-making and investment management were carried out collectively;
managing the knowledge accumulated by FAS and local communities in implementing solutions for the sustainable development of the Amazon. These actions aimed to systematize and disseminate best practices and lessons learned to various stakeholders interested in the topic, enabling such knowledge to become public and replicated elsewhere. Supported activities included technical and scientific publications on priority sustainable productive chains, assessments of the social and economic impacts of income-generation investments, and thematic seminars. These efforts facilitated the appropriation of this knowledge by academia, government, and the third sector, as well as its dissemination to residents of the project area through outreach activities, radio spots, workshops, community forums, and discussion circles; and
conducting a public call for proposals aimed at supporting small and medium community-based sustainable productive projects in the areas surrounding the UCs, with the goal of reducing deforestation pressures around protected areas.

INTERVENTION LOGIC

The project fell under components “Sustainable Production” (1) and “Territorial Planning” (3) of the Amazon Fund’s Logical Framework.

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.

Evolution

Evolution

Date of approval	04.05.2016
Date of the contract	05.25.2016
Date of conclusion	12.09.2025
Date of conclusion	12.09.2025
*Disbursement period	11.30.2020

*Deadline for disbursements

approval

04.05.2016

award

05.25.2016

conclusion

12.09.2025

conclusion

12.09.2025

Disbursement

Disbursement
	date	amount
1º disbursements	07.12.2016	R$10,235,460.00
2º disbursements	12.26.2017	R$10,362,738.00
3º disbursements	05.28.2018	R$1,974,387.00
4º disbursements	12.26.2018	R$8,394,935.00
5º disbursements	11.27.2020	R$550,970.00
Total amount disbursed		R$31,518,490.00

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

100%

ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED

Within the scope of the project, several actions were implemented to strengthen sustainable value chains and promote conservation in the Legal Amazon, as described below:

Bolsa Floresta Income (Bolsa Floresta Renda)

Two hundred small enterprises were supported across the productive chains of cocoa, manioc flour, pirarucu, vegetable oils, açaí, Brazil nut, guaraná, community-based tourism, community stores, poultry farming, handicrafts, and community forest management. Support included physical investments, training, and technical assistance aimed at scaling up production and adding value to the products.

Bolsa Floresta Association (Bolsa Floresta Associação)

Support was provided for the structuring and consolidation of 15 “Mother Associations” of the Conservation Units included in the project. Actions covered logistics for meetings and assemblies, leadership gatherings, entrepreneurship workshops, capacity-building in socio-environmental project management, and participatory planning (as detailed in Annex V).

Public Call for Proposals (Chamada Pública)

Seventeen projects from organizations active in sustainable productive chains in the Amazon were supported, totaling investments of R$ 2.3 million.

Publications, Events, and Communication

A highlight was the support to the Forest Reporters (Repórteres da Floresta) initiative, which trained young community members to produce videos and journalistic content about life in riverine communities. Events were also held on sustainable income generation and community empowerment. Additionally, materials on sustainable development solutions were published and made available on the website: https://fas-amazonia.org.

Management

The project funded the administrative and financial team in proportion to the hours dedicated to the initiative, as well as administrative expenses, accounting advisory services, and the development of a management system.

Emergency Actions During COVID-19

Noteworthy are the emergency actions conducted during the COVID‑19 pandemic, financed with the project’s financial earnings. These included logistics for delivering donations, provision of solar energy and connectivity kits, and communication materials on disease prevention.

Final Evaluation

Result and Impact indicators

Direct Effect 1.1 - Sustainable-use economic activities of natural resources identified and developed in 16 state Conservation Units (UCs), their surrounding areas, and ecological corridors in the state of Amazonas.

Product 1.1.1 – Implementation of investments in sustainable production:

Outcome Indicators

Revenue from Nusustainable-use economic activities (raw products), in R$
Target: 8,797,878.00 | Result achieved: 27,677,128.00
Revenue from sustainable-use economic activities (processed products), in R$
Target: 7,233,514.00 | Result achieved: 35,776,880.00
Volume of raw production generated (tons)
Target: 5,231 | Result achieved: 16,229
Volume of processed or industrialized products (tons)
Target: 15,298 | Result achieved: 44,980

Output Indicators

Investments made (R$)
Target: 6,364,290.00 | Result achieved: 6,724,865.00
Number of processing units for family farming and extractive products expanded and/or renovated
Target: 98 | Result achieved: 101
Total number of individuals directly benefited by the supported activities
Target: 14,031 | Result achieved: 22,160
Number of women directly benefited
Target: 6,316 | Result achieved: 10,759
Number of families directly involved in the value chains
Target: 3,959 | Result achieved: 6,356

Product 1.1.2 – Preparation of business plans and structuring of value chains

Number of business plans developed
Target: 16 | Result achieved: 9
Number of certification processes implemented
Target: 2 | Result achieved: 4
Number of commercial brands of products and services developed and used
Target: 15 | Result achieved: 5

Product 1.1.3 – Implementation of small and medium community-based sustainable productive projects (Public Call)

Number of projects supported through the public call
Target: 16 | Result achieved: 17
Number of sustainable enterprises supported
Target: 16 | Result achieved: 17
Number of individuals directly benefited by the supported activities
Target: 4,204 | Result achieved: 11,039

Direct Effect 1.3 – Technical capacity of community leaders strengthened in management and best practices for natural resource management, with knowledge and technologies disseminated.

Outcome Indicators

Total number of trained individuals effectively using the knowledge acquired
Target: 4,635 | Result achieved: 6,869

Product 1.3.1 – Training of Leadership

Number of participatory planning workshops (cumulative)
Target: 150 | Result achieved: 363
Number of asset management workshops
Target: 177 | Result achieved: 214
Number of technical assistance actions
Target: 208 | Result achieved: 848

Product 1.3.2 – Systematization and dissemination of methodologies, lessons learned, and innovative solutions

Number of knowledge dissemination events
Target: 12 | Result achieved: 24
Number of technical publications (videos, reports)
Target: 29 | Result achieved: 40
Number of technical/didactic materials distributed
Target: 34 | Result achieved: 36

The project achieved significant results in both efficiency and effectiveness, demonstrating substantial progress in consolidating sustainable economic activities across the 16 supported Protected Areas (PAs). There was robust growth in the revenue of the productive chains, with notable increases in the sales of both fresh products and processed products. These results reflect the expansion of production scale, improved management practices, and the strengthening of the supported enterprises. In terms of efficiency, key structural targets were also surpassed: more processing units were implemented than originally planned, the number of families and individuals reached far exceeded expectations, and there was a strong expansion of training and technical assistance activities.

Progress was also evident in the strengthening of local governance, the increased participation of women in productive chains, and the dissemination of knowledge, illustrated by twice the number of dissemination events and by the increased production of materials and publications. These results demonstrate the growing maturity of the productive chains, the strengthening of community organizations, and the consolidation of sustainable income‑generation initiatives.

Some targets were not fully achieved due to operational, contextual, and structural factors that directly affected implementation. For example, the number of business plans developed resulted from FAS’s strategic decision to consolidate analyses by productive chain, making the plans more comprehensive and replicable. Similarly, the development of commercial brands was affected by the need to prioritize those with greater market potential and higher levels of engagement from entrepreneurs. Certain sectors, such as family agriculture and forest management, also faced greater challenges in reorganizing after the pandemic, which limited progress toward specific targets. Added to this were the logistical complexity of the territories involved, the large number of communities reached, and administrative weaknesses of some associations, all of which required more time and technical support. Even in the face of these constraints, the results achieved demonstrate the adaptive capacity of the productive chains and establish important foundations for their continuity and expansion.

Institutional and administrative aspects

The institutional and administrative management of the project demonstrated the capacity of the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS) to coordinate large‑scale initiatives. Throughout the project’s implementation period, the organization strengthened its engagement with strategic partners, expanding its presence across different territories and consolidating a cooperation network that directly contributed to the continuity of the actions planned within the project’s scope. This movement resulted in greater institutional integration and the expansion of the organization’s areas of operation.

Administratively, the project relied on a structure composed of a multidisciplinary team of 59 staff members, supported by consultants and by a decentralized infrastructure that includes regional offices and Conservation and Sustainability Centers distributed across strategic communities, ensuring proximity to the target audience.

Risks and lessons learned

During the implementation of the project, several risks were identified. Among them, the most prominent were the logistical challenges of accessing remote territories, which have historically affected the ability to monitor and conduct on‑site follow‑up of activities, an issue that remained significant throughout implementation. Another institutional risk observed was the need for continuous coordination with public agencies, particularly regarding environmental licensing and administrative alignments. In some cases, these processes faced pending issues or delays, requiring additional management and communication efforts.

As for lessons learned, the project reinforced the importance of consolidated governance structures and a strong institutional network capable of sustaining implementation even in the face of external challenges. The process also highlighted the need for more efficient monitoring methodologies adapted to the Amazonian context, as well as continuous investment in administrative capacity-building, document management, and interinstitutional coordination, elements that proved essential for maintaining the continuity and integrity of the actions carried out.

Sustainability of results

The sustainability of the results achieved by the project demonstrates FAS’s capacity to promote long‑lasting impacts in the supported communities. The structural investments made, such as processing units, support to productive chains, technical training, and the strengthening of local associations, generated effects that persist beyond the formal implementation period. Reports from follow‑up visits show that several enterprises continue operating and generating local income, including community lodges, restaurants, and handicraft units that still receive tourists and stimulate local economies, especially in the Rio Negro region.

The institutional consolidation of community associations also stands out as an essential factor for sustaining the results. The project worked directly to strengthen local organizations through training, management support, and productive integration, which contributed to greater autonomy, professionalization, and leadership capacity, including women’s leadership, thereby reinforcing the continuity of practices developed and embedding sustainable community management processes. This organizational foundation is one of the key elements supporting the social and productive sustainability of the territories.

Another driver of sustainability was the technological and structural improvements provided by complementary initiatives, such as the installation of solar panels and connectivity points in community enterprises. These investments enabled greater energy autonomy, improved access to communication, and the continued operation of productive and tourism activities even after the end of the project’s direct investments. The equipment was installed in 15 enterprises across 7 Protected Areas, directly benefiting 544 families and significantly enhancing local capacity to maintain continuous operations and improve the flow of production and community‑based services.

Thus, the combination of adequate infrastructure, institutional strengthening, community training, and productive integration ensures that the project’s results exhibit a high degree of sustainability. The observed impacts extend beyond the contractual period, guaranteeing continuity, autonomy, and positive outcomes for riverine communities and for the sociobiodiversity productive chains of the Amazon.