Cassava (Manihot esculenta crantz) is a food plant domesticated by indigenous peoples in the Amazon for at least 9,000 years. In the Amazon, there are at least 140 identified native varieties, in addition to several agronomically developed cultivars.
Rich in carbohydrates, cassava is one of the most important plants for food in developing countries. In poorer regions, cassava is the main source of energy for the diet of more than 700 million people.
Cassava is a rustic tubercle that can be cultivated in chemically poor soils and, at the same time, withstand prolonged droughts. It is also highly resistant to pests.
Furthermore, the plant can be stored for a long period in the soil. The combination of these factors makes cassava a key plant for food security.
Brazil holds the greatest biodiversity on the planet, and in the Amazon this natural wealth is even more strategic. However, turning this potential into high value-added innovation remains a challenge. A new study by CPI/PUC-Rio and Amazônia 2030, authored by Cristina Leme Lopes (Senior Research Manager, CPI/PUC-Rio), Ana Flávia Corleto (Researcher, CPI/PUC-Rio), and
The bioeconomy sector has emerged as a new production paradigm, gaining significant attention both in Brazil and globally. It is also a central focus of a forward-looking G20 initiative introduced by the third Lula administration. While Brazil has been working for years to better regulate the bioeconomy and develop a broad legal framework,
Companies in the Brazilian Amazon already export 64 forest-compatible products, with an average annual revenue of nearly US$300 million.1 This figure seems impressive but represents only 0.17% of the corresponding global markets. In the more specific case of products linked to food chains, the participation of companies in the Amazon is also modest,
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