The Project and the tourism value chain

The tourism value chain in the region of the RDS of Rio Negro and the RDS of Puranga Conquista has become a preponderant activity in the region, especially for those who previously carried out activities typified by environmental legislation as predatory and illegal, such as logging. Belonging to the Lower Rio Negro Mosaic of Conservation Units, these two conservation units develop activities in the area of ​​community-based tourism, receiving visitors from different parts of Brazil and the world.

The relationship with non-governmental organizations and universities has enabled the creation of partnerships that promote learning and the exchange of knowledge for the development of tourism in the region. It is important to highlight that communities have distinct characteristics and use these specificities in offering tourist attractions. In some, for example, the main attraction is handicrafts, in others, the trails, while in others, a more advanced and complete organization stands out that allows several activities in the same tourist enterprise, including night walks and boat trips that they even allow interaction with dolphins, among other natural and cultural attractions.

This context points to the consolidation and development of community-based tourism as a value chain that protects the ecosystem and leverages the region's residents as protagonists.

The Project and the Fishing Value Chain

The value chain of fishing in the Amazon dates back to centuries of use of fishing resources by native peoples, as well as by the colonization ventures in the region. Currently, the growth of urban centers puts pressure on the production and commercialization of fishing resources, which are suffering from unrestrained exploitation. However, within conservation units, the sustainable extraction of fish stocks in rivers and lakes in the region stands out, where traditional knowledge and community organization are decisive factors.

In this context, the productive chain of fishing in the Middle Juruá region stands out through the management of arapaima (Arapaima gigas). This has enabled those involved in this activity to increase their earnings and purchasing power, while protecting fish stocks. Pirarucu fishing takes place during the ebb tide of the Juruá river. Its operation and logistics involve complex planning with many steps, it requires a continuous surveillance process, high cost and many people.

Hundreds of kilometers separate the Middle Juruá region from the city of Manaus, however, these challenges are faced and overcome through the action of community organizations in the region, such as the Association of Rural Producers of Carauari (ASPROC), the Association of Residents Extractivists from the Uacari Reserve (AMARU), among others.

The existing fishing value chain in conservation units closer to Manaus, as is the case in the RDS region of Rio Negro, has other characteristics. The recognized traditional standby fishing for jaraqui (Semaprochilodus) and matrinxã (Brycon) involves the commitment of a large group of residents of the communities involved in the activity, who organize themselves during the flooding of the Rio Negro to carry out this activity. In addition, it is important to highlight associated cultural aspects, such as the formation of the so-called “lanços”, which are spaces where fishing takes place and which, in some places, are more than 50 years old, according to residents of the region.

The Project and the oil value chain

The seed oil value chain is very strong and important in the Middle Juruá region, which covers an area of around one million hectares in the Amazon Forest, including indigenous territories. The production of these oils guarantees work and income for a significant number of people who live in the region and work in the forest in a sustainable way. In addition, it is important to highlight that at the beginning of the constitution of the seed oil production chain, in the late 1990s, the knowledge produced at the university played a preponderant role in taking, through funding from CNPQ, an energy generation project with the use of seed oils, it was the first initiative for the use of these oils in the region.