Progress report

November 2008

This project was an extension of work and research of a previous ITTO project "Promotion of non-timber production in the Amazon" PD 143/91 Rev.2 (I). The project intended to collect and make available comprehensive information on the socio-economic and technological knowledge of the non-timber production in the Amazon; improvement of the data bank on the Amazon NWFP in Portuguese covering 509 species by adding 100 new species and publishing an English version of the updated data bank; technical studies on Andiroba oil toilet soap and Cumarú seeds extraction system; and a feasibility study on the local industrialization of the rubber production in the Amazon region.

The project achieved significant outputs in the three areas of project activities, namely: (i) socioeconomic surveys, diagnosis and documentation of non-timber products; (ii) survey and treatment of scientific technological information on Amazonian non-timber forest products; and (iii) development of technologies for specific species/products, producing additional outputs such as "Diagnosis of extractivism in 4 axes of analysis"; "Analysis and diagnosis elaboration and technical criticism for copaiba and babacu"; and book on "Amazonian Flora for Cosmetic Production".

The last Steering Committee meeting was held in April 2008 with representatives of the donor community. It made specific recommendations for the completion of the project outputs.

Regarding achievement of specific objective 1 "Increase and analyze the socio-economic and technological knowledge of the non-timber production in the Amazon", information on NWFPs was compiled and the data is available in an electronic accessible form. Video films on NWFPs and Amazonian Culture are also available.

As for the achievement of specific objective 2 "Increase the data base on non-timber producing species and making available the data basis for a larger number of users", the Data base is available on the website at covering 420 species of NWFPs.

As for the achievement of the last specific objective "Research and develop technologies for non-timber production and diffuse them in the Amazon", a preliminary study on technical and economic viability for rubber utilization in Manus" was delivered.

As the Executing Agency has complied with all the project completion requirements, except for the submission of a final report, the project was declared as completed in November 2008 by the Forest Industry Committee.

November 2007

Regarding the study for technical and economic viability for rubber wood utilization in Manaus, this activity has been continued. The project team is looking for supplementary funds to publish an encyclopedia compiling NTFPs information and data in the Amazon, which would be an additional activity. It is expected that the project will complete its activities by early 2008. (November 2007)

The project pursued its work in the three areas of activities, namely: (i) socioeconomic surveys, diagnosis and documentation of non-timber products; (ii) survey and treatment of scientific technological information on Amazonian non-timber forest products; and (iii) development of technologies for specific species/products.

December 2004

With regard to first area of project activities, information on NTFPs was compiled and the data is available in an electronic accessible form. The preparation of video films on NTFPs is underway. With regard to the second area of activities, the review of information on NTFPs included in the previous databank and those related to the additional species to be included has been pursued through internet search in electronic media, bibliography search in various libraries and consultation with experts and the validation of species information continues; the structure of the databank has been reviewed and information to be included in the databank for each species has been standardized; work for the publication of a book on Amazonian Flora for Cosmetics Use (instead of an electronic database as originally foreseen) is underway and the team working on this subject has been strengthened. The intense activity in this area of project activity has required the hiring of additional experts and students/trainees. With regard to the third area of activity, the preparation of the Cosmetics Manual is underway, as well as the cosmetics courses have been held. The cosmetic courses focussed on three products, shampoo, body moisture and gel for cellulite treatment, while three species have been considered, cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum), castanha-do-para (Bertholletia excelsa) and andiroba (Carapa guianensis). Laboratory tests have been carried out to define the extraction techniques for cumaru seeds and the quality of the resulting product, and a comprehensive study has been undertaken before the commissioning of the pilot scale extraction system.

A Steering Committee of the project met in April 2004 and a Technical Meeting in February 2005. These meetings concluded that the project is well implemented and that the project will have a wide variety of useful outputs, exceeding by far what was provisioned in the project document. In order to enhance the results of the project, and to incorporate all additional activities, a one-year extension for the project with a request for additional funding pending, was approved at the 35th Session of the Committee in Yokohama.