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Report 5 (of 5): Dollars from
Scents - Brazil
Introduction
Brazil is the fifth largest country
in the world, located in South America's central eastern
region, and home to the mighty Amazon. More than one
third of all species in the world live in the Amazon,
a diverse tropical area that extends over 4.1 million
square kilometres. Brazil's landmass is dominated
by the Amazon Basin, which contains the world's largest
rainforest. These areas consist of dense forest, semi-arid
scrub land, rugged hills, mountains and rolling plains.
Deforestation in the Amazon Basin
destroys habitat and endangers the existence of many
plant and animal species indigenous to the area. Approximately
13 per cent of the original rainforest has already
been destroyed by clearing as a result of ranchers'
activities, including large corporate operations,
and a smaller portion from slash-and-burn techniques
used by local small-scale farmers.
Silves, an island on the Urubu River
and Canacari Lake next to the Amazon River, at the
heart of the Amazon region, is inhabited by one of
a growing number of communities in Brazil which is
now embracing environmental conservation as a means
of securing a healthy future. Recognising that the
natural environment must be maintained for successful
economic development, rural populations are using
local plants to produce medicines and cosmetics in
order to generate income and encourage habitat preservation.
A local NGO, the Vida Verde Association of Amazonia
(AVIVE), began working with local communities in the
production of soaps, essential oils and incense made
from native aromatic plants.
Extracting forest products
Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs)
such as nuts, fruits, oils, resins, essences, pigments,
flours, and handicrafts, all represent essential products
that trees provide in addition to timber. NTFPs offer
an alternative means to earn a living while conserving
forest biodiversity. Often called 'extractivism',
harvesting non-timber products has less negative environmental
impact than other land uses such as forest clearing
for cattle farms. This approach works in harmony with
rural communities' traditional values, which often
cherish natural resources.
Extractive methods offer a simple
solution: local communities know the forest best,
and using their indigenous knowledge to extract forest
products offers an alternative to cutting down trees,
allows communities to earn income, and means that
forests are conserved. The demand for 'natural' products
means that many forest products are being used, for
example, in making perfumes, medicines and soaps.
AVIVE
AVIVE was established in 1999 in Silves
by a group of women who wanted to begin sustainable
production of Amazonian essential oils and natural
cosmetics to earn income without degrading the forest.
Using sustainable forest management, the organisation
supports research and ecological projects involving
aromatic and endangered plants, particularly the Brazilian
Rosewood tree.
AVIVE's main focus is on developing
techniques for sustainable extraction of medicinal
and aromatic native plant species. The organisation
also leads an important environmental education programme
and produces seed, grown in local nurseries, for replanting
and recovery of regional forests.
Biodiversity and Poverty Reduction
AVIVE has been effective in addressing
poverty reduction through the sustainable use of forest
resources. Sustainable forest management enables the
women in Silves to reap the benefits of their knowledge
of the forest in which they live. The government is
helping them to establish special reserves in which
to grow trees to extract the essential oils, while
the booming tourist industry helps to provide a stable
market for their products.
AVIVE uses forest resources sustainably
and as a result has made a big impact on preserving
and regenerating the environment:
- Rosewood is an endangered species.
AVIVE has only used oils from producers that are
controlled and certified by IBAMA, the Brazilian
environmental institute: for every 180 litres distilled,
each producer must plant 80 trees.
- A 3000-hectare (almost 7500 acre)
reserve is being established, with support from
the Ministry of the Environment, to grow trees such
as rosewood, instead of using those in the forest.
- AVIVE uses timber residues of aromatic
species in distillation normally considered waste
by larger companies.
- In partnership with the Association
of Silves for Environmental and Cultural Preservation,
AVIVE has developed environmental education campaigns
aimed at communities throughout the region.
The livelihoods of the local women
have been improved as a result of selling the products:
- Products are sold to tourists and
local consumers in the AVIVE store, which enables
the project to continue.
- Products are now exported and sold
by WWF Brazil and the German company Light of Nature.
From the sale of soaps alone, last year the women
received around 20 per cent or $1000 of direct profit.
The rest of the money is reinvested in primary resources,
labels and the fixed costs of AVIVE.
- AVIVE sells products from women
in six other communities, reaching beyond Silves
throughout the municipality.
- The capacity building programme
has enabled women in remote areas to gain access
to certified training. This includes being taught
basic English.
Harvesting Essential Oils
The women of Silves earn extra income
from collecting seeds and producing aromatic products
and medicines, which are then sold in the AVIVE store
to tourists. Around 30 women in Silves produce natural
glycerin based soaps with Rosewood and Puxuri essential
oil. The Rosewood oil that AVIVE sells wholesale comes
from different producers in Amazonia. Producers are
certified by IBAMA, the environmental institute which
controls sustainable forest management.
Rosewood Oil
Rosewood (Aniba roseadora) is native to the
Amazon region and is often cut for extraction
of linalol. Harvesting this oil has almost eliminated
the species from the Amazon. It is used in making
perfume, most commonly in the production of
the Chanel no. 5. Research shows that the highest
concentrations of essential oils are actually
found in the leaves.
Traditionally, rosewood oil
is used to treat acne, colds, coughs, dermatitis,
fevers, headaches, infections, nausea, nervous
tension, and wounds. |
| Andiroba Oil
Andiroba (Carapa guianensis)
is a tall tree that can be found growing wild
throughout the Amazon rainforest, usually
on rich soils, in swamps, and in the alluvial
flats, marshes and uplands of the Amazon Basin.
It is one of the large leafed trees of the
rainforest and can be identified by its distinctive
textured leaves. It produces fragrant flowers
and a brown, woody, four-cornered nut, which
resembles a chestnut and contains an oil-rich
kernel. The seeds contain pale yellow coloured
oil.
The seeds are collected from
rivers where they float after falling from
the tree. They are boiled and left for about
two weeks until they have rotted and are then
squeezed in a traditional press known as a
Tipiti to extract oil and fatty solids. The
oil becomes rancid very quickly, requiring
rapid use; local usage is mostly limited to
immediate use or the manufacture of soap.
Andiroba is traditionally
used as a medicine, acting as an antiseptic,
anti-inflammatory and antiparasitic. The oil
can be used in making soap recommended for
the treatment of skin diseases and as an insect
repellent.
Copaiba Oil
Copaiba oil (Copaifera officinalis)
comes from the Copaifera tree and has been used
for centuries in Europe and Latin America in
the treatment of chronic cystitis, bronchitis
and diarrhoea. Traditional medicine in Brazil
recommends Copaiba oil today as an anti-inflammatory
agent, for treating dandruff, skin disorders
and stomach ulcers.
In addition to traditional uses, Copaiba
is used as an antibacterial, as a disinfectant
and as a laxative. It is commonly used as
a fragrance component in perfumes, soaps,
bubble baths, detergents, creams, and lotions.
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AVIVE Products
Aromatic, insect repellent
candles
These are made from Copaiba
and Andiroba oils, together with breu, a resin
from an Amazonian tree. All ingredients have
act as an insect repellent and are very popular
with tourists
Incense set
The incense set comprises
of:
- A small ceramic bowl,
- A piece of coal,
- Sand from the Urubu-river
- An aromatic mixture
All are handmade by the women
of Silves, including the ceramics which they
produce using traditional methods.
The first aromatic mixture
created by women of Silves was named uirapuru.
Uirapuru is the name of a small amazonian
bird that has a unique and enchanting song.
In the Indian language of Tupi-Guarany uira
means bird and puru means magic power.
| "The indian people
say that the tapir, the deer, the capivara
and even the jaguar stop and listen,
touched by the magic of the uirapuru"
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The Future
Promoting the production of natural
medicines and cosmetics as an economic alternative
for the women of Silves has enabled them become self-sufficient.
Extractive activities often threaten biodiversity
in forest areas, and ensuring the environment is sustainably
used is crucial. Environmental education, replanting
and recovery of regional forests are all important
aspects of ensuring local environments are preserved
and local livelihoods improved without one negatively
impacting on the other. The success of the project
has shown that economic activities can be environmentally
sustainable in addition to strengthening perceptions
of the role of women in a local context.
For further information, please contact:
Information on the Amazon rainforest
WWF-Brazil
SHIS EQ QL 6/8, conjunto E, 2º andar
CEP 71620-430
Brasília-DF
Brazil
Fax: +55 (61)364-7474
Email: panda@wwf.org.br
Website: www.wwf.org.br/english
The Brazilian WWF site is
an excellent resource for information on biodiversity,
tourism and the environment. It includes projects,
publications and descriptions of all the regions
in Brazil. |
Raintree Nutrition, Inc.
10609 Metric Blvd, Suite 101
Austin
Texas 78758
Tel: +1 (512) 833-5006
Fax: +1 (512) 833-5414
E-mail: info@rain-tree.com
Website: http://www.rain-tree.com/
The Raintree website contains
all the information you need on rainforest
products, including a rainforest plant database,
information, facts and sustainable products
for sale. The website is available in six
different languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese,
German, Italian, French and Norwegian. |
Websites
www.fao.org/forestry/FOP/FOPW/NWFP/new/nwfp.htm
The FAO's Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFP) website
has information on every aspect of NWFP, including
activities, publications (some listed below), country
information and links to other sites of interest.
Further Reading
Books with underlined titles can be
downloaded for free at the given web address. Others
can be ordered from the relevant postal address.
EarthPrint Books
Income generation from non-wood
forest products in upland conservation
US$11, FAO Conservation Guides, ISBN: 9251038465
Marketing information systems for
non-timber forest products
US$14, FAO (2000), Part of Community Forestry Field
Manual Series
IUCN - World Conservation Union Books
Economic Value of Non-Timber Forest
Products in Southeast Asia
Second edition, Jenne H. de Beer and Melanie J. McDermott.
ISBN 90-75909-01-2, 1996
Non-timber Forest Products: Value,
use and management issues in Africa, including examples
from Latin America
Edited by S. A. Crafter, J. Awimbo and A. J. Broekhoven.
ISBN 2-8317-0317-4, 1997
Based on a pan-African workshop that was held in Naro
Moru, Kenya, 8-13 May 1994, to analyse the viability
of extraction of NTFPs in Africa and improve knowledge
and understanding of the role and potential of NTFPs
in forest conservation. It gives a synthesis of workshop
discussions, and also includes country overviews of
NTFP use from 15 countries.
Non-Timber Forest Products from
the Tropical Forests of Africa: A bibliography
Compiled by Harry van der Linde and Esther van Adrichem.
ISBN 90 75909 03 9, 1997
Provides an overview of available literature on non-timber
forest products (NTFPs) in the tropical forests of
Africa which include the tropical lowland forests,
swamp forests, montane forests and mangroves of West,
Central and East Africa and Madagascar. This publication
aims to facilitate and encourage the work of government
institutions, NGOs and others who wish to engage in
studies or activities on NTFPs in tropical Africa.
Food and Agricultural Organisation
(FAO) Books
Flavours and Fragrances of Plant
Origin
Part of the non-wood forest products series
US$14, FAO, 1995, ISBN: 92-5-103648-9
This book gives information about
a variety of oils and resins. A selected bibliography
is appended for each oil/resin to enable those who
wish to explore the subject in more detail to do so.
Non-wood
forest products for rural income and sustainable forestry
(www.fao.org/docrep/v9480e/v9480e00.htm)
Part of the non-wood forest products series
This volume outlines the approaches for assessing
the potential of NWFP activities in a particular area.
It is mainly addressed to policy-makers, researchers,
local extension workers, NGOs and others professionals
to identify and pursue possibilities for better management
of NWFPs. An outline of the kind of technical, institutional
and policy support required to promote NWFP activities
is also provided.
US$16, FAO, ISBN: 92-5-103765-5
Unasylva
Unasylva is an International journal of forestry and
forest industries published in English, Spanish and
French.
Website: www.fao.org/forestry/FODA/UNASYLVA/unasyl-e.stm
E-mail: Unasylva@fao.org
Acknowledgements
ITDG would like to thank Barbara
Schmal for providing information on the project.
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