This Thursday (March 20), rubber tapper communities from Amapá, Santa Ana, and Tabatinga—located in the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve in the municipality of Sena Madureira—were finally able to harvest their wild cacao. After two years of crop loss caused by a severe dry season followed by flooding, residents are thrilled to return to a fruitful harvest.
The fruits, originating from the forest and agroforestry systems, are the result of the work of local extractivist communities, who received training from SOS Amazônia in best practices for managing the wild cacao harvest. This production provides a vital source of income for the communities, helping to ensure food security within the rubber tree groves. “When families shift their perspective and see the territory as a source of income, they stop deforesting the forest to convert it into grazing land for the cattle industry,” explains Adair Duarte, project coordinator at SOS Amazônia.
These communities are part of the Nossabio project (Lira/Ipê), which supports 50 families in the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve. Each family is responsible for managing 100 cacao trees. The program was established to promote responsible management of protected areas in the Amazon while simultaneously developing value chains based on sociobiodiversity products.
SOS Amazônia recognized the potential of cacao through activities carried out by the Valores da Amazônia project in 2015. Focused on structuring, strengthening, and integrating the value chains of non-timber forest products—such as wild cacao, native rubber, and vegetable oils—the NGO supported multiple families in producing and managing their local resources.
Representatives from one of the project’s partners, Luisa Abram Chocolates, were present at the harvest events. The company purchases cacao produced in Conservation Units in Acre and transforms it into chocolate sold across Brazil and exported to seven countries, including the United States.
This partnership has yielded significant results, including the recognition of the Jaruá 70% chocolate bar in three award categories: bronze at the 2019 Bean to Bar Award in Brazil, silver at the 2019 International Chocolate Awards (Americas division), and gold at the 2019 International Chocolate Awards (Brazil division).
Nossabio Project
Nossabio is part of the Integrated Legacy of the Amazon Region (LIRA), a program developed by the Institute for Ecological Research (IPÊ), supported by funding from the Amazon Fund and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Its activities align with principles of governance and sustainable production, with the goal of promoting the consolidation of Conservation Units in the states of Acre and Rondônia.
During its active period, from 2019 to 2025, the program focused primarily on strengthening the value chains of açaí, wild cacao, and native rubber; promoting ecotourism—through the development of the Chico Mendes Trail and community-based tourism in Guajará-Mirim State Park; and supporting the woodcraft value chain through the Forest Studio (Ateliê da Floresta).
You can learn more about the project through a visual documentary produced by SOS Amazônia, which offers a glimpse into the project's activities and features testimonials from participants: