Bertholletia excelsa : Key Species for Sustainable Livelihoods and Forest Conservation

Abstract

Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa) are widely consumed, an important source of income, and collected in an extractive way. This research aimed to characterize the production chain and identify socioeconomic and environmental effects. The hypothesis is that the collection of chestnuts contributes significantly to the human, social, natural, physical, and financial capital of the livelihoods. 119 collectors were interviewed, who were organized in: association, cooperative and autonomous. The data were treated with exploratory analysis, descriptive statistics, and mean comparison tests. Collectors have their livelihoods structured in agriculture, fishing, and forest extractivism. Collectors use more than 30 forest products, demonstrating a broad traditional knowledge of forests and, on the other hand, little access to formal education and information technology. The collection of Brazil nuts proved to be an activity that positively impacts the livelihoods' capitals, being a key species for forest conservation and maintenance of Amazonian livelihoods.