Puxirum: Value Chain of the Brazil Nut
The Puxirum research project analyzed the value chain and local production of Brazil nuts in Brazilian Amazonia. It was implemented by the Free University of Berlin, the Center of Higher Amazonian Studies (Núcleo de Altos Estudos Amazônicos – NAEA), the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), the Federal University of Western Pará (UFOPA), the Federal Rural University of Amazonia (UFRA) and the University of Southern Denmark.

As a direct result of the project, a Technological Extension Center (Núcleo de Extensão Tecnológica – NEXT) was established and received five years’ funding from the State Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation (Secretaria Estadual da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação - SECTI), a partner from the public sector. Moreover, a governance committee for the value chain of Brazil nuts was put in place in the municipalities of Oriximiná and Óbidos in the Brazilian state of Pará. The hand press developed by the project to produce briquettes from Brazil nut residues is still being used in the village of Oriximiná.

To support those people who care for the forest and use the forest in a sustainable way by gathering its products without destroying it is considered an effective measure to protect tropical forests. Gathering
(or “extracting”) products from the forest which are not wood – so called non-timber-forest products (NTFP) – is considered an economic activity which helps to make a living for forest users, often traditional or indigenous groups. Strengthening forest extractivism could thus galvanize the ‘valuing’, and protection, of biodiversity as well as the survival of and respect for the diversity of social and cultural traditions – so called sociodiversity. Therefore, in 2009 Brazil implemented the National Plan for Promotion Socio-Biodiversity Product Chains (Plano Nacional de Promoção das Cadeias de Produtos da Sociobiodiversidade – PNPSB, also called Plano SocioBio) as one measure towards the goal to protect the Brazilian Rainforest.

The Puxirum project aimed at providing constructive inputs for strengthening Brazil nut value chains, particularly in the Calha Norte region, while contributing to enhance NTFP management in line with the PNPSB. As a result, we recommend concerted simultaneous action in all sectors along the value chain, strong political commitment to supporting the NTFP sector, and strengthening existing networks and initiatives on NTFP in Brazil, mainly to enhance knowledge management.