Fragile Lands of Latin America Strategies for ... - PART - USAID

66 Ghillean T. Prance
Table 4
A Summary of Brazilian Exports of Amazonian Products in 1 ma
Average US$
1985 Export Method of Harvest Value of US
Product Value($) Production Kills Plant (K) lmportsb
Cacao 778,212,352 Mainly
plantation - -
Wood 169,536,947 Extraction K -
S6rva latex 28,749,587 Extraction K (?) 3,068,000
Brazil nut 25,539,505 Extraction - 17,679,000
Guaranh 3,735,239 Plantation - -
Rosewood oil 938,065 Extraction K 980,000
Piassaba fiber 474,745 Extraction - -
Tonka beans 365,024 Extraction - 139,000
Copaiba balsam 125,426 Extraction - 45,000
Massarandu ba
latex 12,425 Extraction K -
Balata latex 10,151 Extraction - -
Total 1,014,106,546
a The values represent export sales only and many of these products also enter
the domestic market extensively.
Data from Prescott-Allen & Prescott-Allen (1986).
population of camu camu in an oxbow lake in Peru by Peters and
Vasquez (1987) showed considerable economic potential. Peters calcu-
lated that at present market prices of camu camu a single hectare of
lake margin camu camu scrub forest can yield $6,000 worth of fruit
(pers. comm.). There are few products that can compete with this in
Amazonia. The study of camu camu has further shown that a large
percentage of the natural production of the fruit can be harvested
without harming the natural population.
Some Recent Economic Plant Data
from Amazonian Brazil
A strong argument for the conservation of the Amazon rainforest
can be made purely by showing the worldwide use that is being made
of species from the region. The economic data from these species should
be enough for us to pause before converting diverse rainforests to other
less valuable and less productive uses. The contribution of the Amazon
forests to world economy is substantial. Table 4 is a summary of
Brazilian exports in 1985 from the seven Amazonian states and terri-
tories. It presents the data for eleven native species that are produced