Local Productive Arrangement and Bioeconomy Potential of Copaiba Oil in Extractive Communities of Rondônia
Amazon Bioeconomy; Extractivist communities; Production chain; Copaifera spp.; Valuing standing forests.
Copaiba trees (Copaifera spp.), widely distributed in the Amazon, produce an oleoresin with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and healing properties. This oil is used in the cosmetics, paint, and lubricant industries, and in traditional medicine, especially in the Northern region of Brazil. Despite its potential, the productive arrangement within Extractive Reserves (Resex) in Rondônia remains weakly structured, rendering this bioeconomy largely invisible. This study analyzes the ecological, productive, and market dimensions of copaiba oil extraction and trade by extractivist communities in Rondônia. We interviewed three groups—G1: extractivists, G2: traders, and G3: fostering agencies—across conservation units in the municipalities of Costa Marques, Guajará‑Mirim, Machadinho do Oeste, and Vale do Anari, covering the full chain from tapping to commercialization. The assessment focused on ethnobotanical knowledge, management practices, processing, storage, value‑addition strategies, cultural aspects, and a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Opportunities, Weaknesses, and Threats). Fieldwork was conducted in the Aquariquara, Castanheira, Rio Cautário, Rio Pacaás Novos, and Rio Preto Jacundá Resex. In total, 40 participants took part: G1 (17), G2 (10), and G3 (13). The study also evaluated the oil’s economic contribution to local households and identified opportunities to strengthen the Amazonian bioeconomy through the valorization of traditional knowledge and better production organization. Results indicate that the local productive arrangement of copaiba generates significant supplemental income for extractivists. Four oleoresin types were cited—Mari‑Mari, Angelim, Cuiarana, and Jacaré—with mean first‑tapping yields of approximately 10, 40, and 20 liters, respectively, for the first three types. Sale prices ranged from R$60.00 to R$120.00 per liter, with local sales and shipments to São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, and Bahia. Recommended good practices include sealing the trunk borehole with a breu‑wood plug, filtering to remove residues, and storing oil in clean, opaque containers. Identified weaknesses include the lack of adequate management, loss of productive areas to agribusiness, and a fragile institutional support network. We conclude that copaiba oil production is viable, but greater community organization and public policies for technical assistance, credit, promotion, appropriate management practices, and traceability are needed. These actions can strengthen the local bioeconomy, improve livelihoods, and add value to standing forests, ultimately enhancing quality of life in the traditional communities studied.