How can we transform the comparative advantages, traditional knowledge, and experience of forest communities into real opportunities for income, inclusion, and conservation? How can we address deforestation, climate change, and biodiversity loss with solutions born from the Amazon territories themselves?
These questions gave rise to AmazonBeEco, an initiative aimed at boosting inclusive bioeconomy across six Pan-Amazon countries: Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Guyana, and Suriname. Led by Conexsus, the project is supported by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
The official launch of Amazon BeEco took place on June 12, 2024, during the IDB Invest Sustainability Week in Manaus, Brazil. At the event, Irene Arias, CEO of IDB Lab, emphasized: “IDB Lab continues to mobilize funding, knowledge, and connections to create more and better opportunities for traditional populations and entrepreneurs in the Amazon, who are crucial actors in preserving biodiversity—essential for the future of this region.”
AmazonBeEco is a multilateral effort to strengthen community-based bio-businesses in the Pan-Amazon region. Its main goal is to increase the income of families engaged in sustainable businesses while ensuring the responsible management of at least 400,000 hectares of land over four years.
The project focuses on 8,000 families associated with 100 community-based enterprises, supported by a network of 60 intermediary organizations across the six countries. The idea is to build a robust bioeconomy ecosystem through training, market access, financial support, and tailored technological solutions.
Increase revenue for community-based bio-businesses in the Pan-Amazon and generate income opportunities for participating families by fostering collaborative networks, technical training, and innovative financial and commercial solutions.
AmazonBeEco also seeks to strengthen the institutional and economic environment around sustainable businesses. This includes:
These are cooperatives, associations, and productive initiatives working in value chains such as:
According to Conexsus Challenge Brazil (2018):
The region’s bioeconomy is still emerging, with poorly coordinated actions between countries and social indicators below national averages. Priority groups include:
Key traded products: Brazil nuts, açaí, rubber, cocoa, coffee, pirarucu (Amazon fish), and native fish species.
This component tackles the lack of a structured institutional framework and promotes regional coordination through:
Focuses on technical strengthening of selected businesses:
Actions include management training, innovation, and market access.
Aims to facilitate credit access through public, private, and new financial mechanisms. Targets include:
The project is in its early implementation phase, with business selection and mobilization of intermediary organizations underway. Training tools and credit mechanisms are also in development.
The main launch took place on June 12, 2024, in Manaus (Brazil). Regional events in other participating countries are scheduled for:
AmazonBeEco is more than a sustainable development project—it’s a milestone in transitioning to a new economic model for the Pan-Amazon, one based on valuing the standing forest and empowering its communities.
By integrating productive, social, financial, and environmental solutions, the project signals a quiet but profound revolution, envisioning a future where conservation and income generation go hand in hand.
This is a strategic and necessary step toward an inclusive, resilient, and interconnected bioeconomy—one that places the forest and its people at the heart of solutions for 21st-century challenges.
