Cadeias de valor da sociobiodiversidade: um estudo sobre o artesanato do buriti

Abstract

This study analyzes the structure and dynamics of socio-biodiversity value chains, focusing on buriti fiber (Mauritia flexuosa) handicrafts produced by traditional communities in the states of Pará and Maranhão. The study seeks to analyze how this activity contributes to sustainable development, income generation, and the cultural appreciation of Amazonian women artisans. The research adopts a qualitative approach, based on bibliographic and documentary review, data analysis from the Plant Extraction and Silviculture Survey (PEVS/IBGE, 2023), and semi-structured interviews with artisans from two collective enterprises: the Sitinho Trançando Artes Cooperative, in São Luís (MA), and the Association of Quilombola Women Artisans of the Genipaúba River (AMQG), in Abaetetuba (PA). The results reveal the strong female protagonism in the value chains of the interviewed enterprises, both in production and collective management. In Maranhão, the cooperative shows greater formalization and integration into urban markets, but depends on the purchase of the fiber, which increases costs and creates vulnerabilities. In Pará, the quilombola association stands out for its autonomy in the collection and sustainable management of the palm tree, although it faces structural and commercialization limitations. It is concluded that the buriti handicraft value chains that were interviewed are concrete examples of socio-biodiversity economies, integrating environmental conservation, women's empowerment, and cultural appreciation. However, challenges related to lack of infrastructure, specific public policies, and access to differentiated markets persist. The study points out that strengthening these chains requires participatory governance, continuous institutional support, and recognition of traditional knowledge as the basis for the sustainable development of the Amazon.