Amazonas sustainable cocoa project supports Rio Madeira communities

The Prospera na Floresta project, led by the Fundação Amazônia Sustentável (FAS), is working to strengthen sustainable cocoa production in the Rio Madeira region of Amazonas, Brazil. In the municipalities of Manicoré and Novo Aripuanã, cocoa is cultivated within the Amazon rainforest alongside native species such as andiroba, copaíba, rubber trees, and Brazil nut trees.

To support local families, the project has implemented training programs focused on crop management and the preservation of traditional knowledge. These training sessions, which include group exercises and practical field work, aim to reach 80 producers. The initiative was developed following field visits to ten communities in the Middle and Lower Rio Madeira, where producers identified challenges such as extreme heat, droughts, and flooding.

In the Rio Madeira Sustainable Development Reserve (RDS), cocoa production is integrated into the daily routines of local families, providing income alongside food cultivation and the collection of forest seeds.