Agrobiodiversity conservation and deflorestation in Amazon: the challenges of the manioc powder production in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre

Abstract

The economic valuation of cassava flour in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, is linked to the conversion of the local economy, formerly based on rubber extraction, into one based on agriculture, with a focus on cassava planting. The production of flour depends on a labor-intensive process linked to family production and ensures local food security, while the marketing of flour is defined by political and economic aspects. The increase in cassava flour production, however, has been associated with the expansion of deforestation in the region. At the same time, there is the idea of protecting the flour with the geographical indication mechanism, which raises the question of the need to promote the conservation of agrobiodiversity and the processes that generate it. The present article intends to demonstrate that the valorization of cassava flour of Cruzeiro do Sul imposes several challenges related to its production.