Brazil turns Amazon into green economy

As host of next year’s COP30 climate summit, Belem is unveiling an ambitious new model for sustainable growth — one that turns the Amazon’s natural abundance into livelihoods while keeping its forests standing.

In the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, the state of Pará is redefining what progress looks like. Instead of clearing land for cattle or mining, the region is investing in the production and global export of forest-based goods — from acai and Brazil nuts to herbs and natural oils — that generate income without destroying the environment.

At the centre of this effort is the newly inaugurated $56 million Bioeconomy and Innovation Park, located near Belem’s historic Ver-o-Peso market. The state-of-the-art facility provides laboratories, machinery, and training for local entrepreneurs developing foods, cosmetics, and other products sourced from the Amazon’s biodiversity.

Local businesses are already reaping the benefits. Artisanal herb producers and acai exporters have expanded their operations, creating jobs and supporting hundreds of families in the process. Among them is Chef Leonardo Souza, who said the park helped transform his small business into a growing enterprise.

“We managed to increase the number of families,” Souza said. “When I first entered the bioeconomy park, I saw a great opportunity for us to expand our production capacity.”

The results are striking. Acai prices have more than tripled, climbing from $3 to $11 per pot, while exports to Europe continue to grow. The park also supports coffee growers who combine organic farming with reforestation, helping smallholders earn a stable income while restoring degraded land.

Para Governor Helder Barbalho said the state’s approach reflects a broader vision — to transform the Amazon’s natural wealth into what he calls a “new economy.”

“We must reduce our dependence on extractive economies, on industries that emit greenhouse gases,” Barbalho said. “Our goal is to build low-emission economies that value living forests.”

As COP30 draws closer, Belem hopes to showcase this model as a tangible example of how developing nations can reconcile growth with conservation. By investing in sustainable industries rooted in the forest itself, Brazil aims to prove that the Amazon can be both protected and profitable — a living engine of prosperity for generations to come.

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