SUSTAIN

The project aims to examine possibilities to develop a resilient supply chain for certified and sustainable Brazil nuts from Peru by 1) providing a sound scientific knowledge base of Brazil nut reproductive ecology to promote adaptive management strategies, practices conducive to certification, and to raise consumer awareness of Brazil nut; and 2) working with stakeholders to build a forest-to-consumer value chain for long-term ethically and sustainably sourced Peruvian Brazil nuts for the Swiss-based market.

The Brazil nut is a giant tropical rainforest tree found in Brazil, Bolivia and Peru. The nutritious nuts harvested from the wild, are one of the most economically important non-​timber forest products in the world. Annual exports of Brazil nuts are valued at tens of millions US dollars, but only a small fraction are sourced ethically through certification. Brazil nut harvesting is a crucial part of rural livelihoods across the Amazon region. The same rural communities also depend on timber harvesting from the same forests to keep them above the poverty line. Forest degradation, as a consequence of unplanned intensive timber harvesting, has potentially negative consequences for Brazil nut production, biodiversity conservation, and climate change. This project will focus on the Madre de Dios region of Peru, which contains 26000 Km2 of the most biologically diverse and carbon dense Brazil nut-​rich forest in South America. The ultimate aim of this project is to help COOP develop a resilient value supply chain for certified and sustainable Brazil nuts from Peru. This provides an opportunity to alleviate poverty, conserve tropical forest and mitigate climate change through reduced forest degradation. Despite Brazil nuts’ excellent nutritional and health properties, it remains a peripheral food product in the Swiss market. This project uses an interdisciplinary systems-​based approach to: a) provide the scientific basis for the certification of sustainably harvested Brazil nuts through a clear understanding of how habitat degradation influences Brazil nut production; b) understand and reduce the barriers harvesters face to adopt certification (Fairtrade and Organic) of Brazil nuts due to the unpredictable demand, and lack of local capacity; c) raise consumer awareness in Switzerland of the nutritional, environmental and social benefits of certified Brazil nuts to sustain a larger and more resilient supply chain. Through these endeavours we will provide a novel and powerful contribution to the global sustainable food system.