WWF working in Acre

WWF in Acre

WWF is working with the State Government of Acre, non-governmental agencies, loggers and the local people to develop ways to allow everyone to use the forests whilst trying to protect Acre's unique resources.

WWF's priorities in Acre
Project Manager for WWF in Acre is Luis Meneses. "The first priority is to help people and timber companies to obtain FSC-certification [Forest Stewardship Council]; that is universal recognition that the timber and non-timber products of the forests are cultivated and collected sustainably."

WWF is giving its support by finding markets for FSC-certified timber and non-timber products. Only when there is a real opportunity to sell FSC-products commercially will there be an incentive to manage forests sustainably.

Already, Acre's logging industry is changing. Five companies have left the Woodloggers Union to establish their own Associacao dos Manejadores de Floresta (Forest Managers Association) which will produce timber according to FSC standards. And more logging companies are expected to join the association.

Zoning in Acre
Meanwhile WWF has been active in helping local people draw up different 'zones' within Acre for different kinds of land-use. "Firstly we designated important areas for conservation," explains Luis, "and now we have to implement strict protection of these areas."

At the same time, other zones were specifically designated for sustainable timber-logging; extraction and collection of non-timber forest products like rubber, Brazil nuts, commercially-valuable tree-seeds and medicinal plants; indigenous areas; tourism; cattle-ranching and agriculture.

People's Co-operative
While all this is going on, WWF is helping to increase environmental education among the peoples of Acre, working closely with SOS Amazonia, a local environmental NGO. Another project involving WWF is the marketing of sustainably produced non-timber forest products like Brazil Nuts, Acai Palm fruit-pulp and Copaiba medicinal oil.

And together with 'Ecoamazon', a WWF-supported NGO based in Acre, WWF played a big role in the production of a highly-nutritious Brazil nut confectionary bar, marketed by a large Brazilian food company called Nutrimental.

Acre as a Model of Sustainability in the Amazon
As a result of much of the work that has been done in Acre, WWF has been approached by two other states in Amazonia, and Amapa, with a view to future co-operation. Already the massive Amazonas State Government has invited WWF to carry out the same types of project in its geographical area.