Exploração de produtos florestais não madeireiros na comunidade São João do Araçá, região do rio Arari, município de Itacoatiara - Amazonas

Abstract

Because of the potential to increase the income of communities, The Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) extractivism has been appointed as an instrument to integrate, via sustainable use, the conservation of forest resources with local economic and social development. This completion of course work was focused on studying the exploitation of non-timber forest products in the community of São João do Araçá, located on the banks of Arari river in the municipality of Itacoatiara, State of Amazonas. Three questions were identified as follows: (1) which species are exploited by the community, (2) which local knowledge and practices are related to the extraction of those species, (3) and the amount of family income generated by the extraction of species found in the properties. Data collection was carried out in November 2021. One field trip was done as well as interviews taken according to the time availability of each dweller. Extractivism in São João do Araçá is predominantly practiced by local communities, mainly by men with lower education degree who also are involved in other survival activities such as fishing, livestock, agriculture and cooking. Twenty-five species were identified in the community as proper for exploitation, 10 of them are considered to be of economic interest and the others hold cultural value basically, whether for local cuisine or medicine, and only 35% of the exploitation is traded within and/or outside the community. The prevailing extractive system in the community is provided with a simple methodology and technology based on local knowledge of great cultural value, which favors the work of collection or processing. The income earned with the activity varies from 500 reais to 1,500 reais, which means an amount influenced by the market price and productivity of the exploited specie. In addition, the income is gotten only at the harvest time of each species, being used to beat family expenses basically.