**5. Amazonia Third Way as a disruptive alternative**

oils of priprioca (Laszlo Aromaterapia & Aromatologia companies), pracaxi (Amazon Forest Trading company); copaiba (IFF—International Flavors & Fragrances company) and andi-

Another sector that has shown significant growth is the food, functional food and nutraceutical industries (e.g., Sambazon, Tahuamanu companies). Companies in this sector tap in the healthy food market and, by applying relatively low-end technologies, have put Amazon bioactives available worldwide at anyone's table. As a rule of thumb, most sectors have benefited from the adoption of newer and accessible technologies in their processing facilities. From Brazil nuts micro-factories for peeling seeds (COOPERACRE cooperative) to agrosilviculture producer's cooperatives focused on traditional bio-industries (CAMTA, RECA cooperatives). In our study, we analyzed many products offered by the Amazon traditional bio-industries based on two defining axis: the amount of technology involved in the making of their products and the degree to which they are closer or further to their original state as furnished by Nature. It was a qualitative analysis and it shows status classes for these products. The

As it might be expected, values such as environmental sustainability, social development and fair-trade are a matter of concern for virtually all operations, to a greater or lesser extent, from small chestnut cooperatives to the giants of the essences and cosmetics sector. Nevertheless, there are reports of large traditional bio-industry operations that required botanical resources at large scales that have driven transformation in the supplying of natural asset, once coming from extractivism or agroforestry systems, into an asset generated from monocultures in the agroindustry's usual patterns. It also disrupted traditional handmade extractive processes [60]. Accommodating increasing demands for bio-products with limitations inherent to Nature's carrying capacity and traditional and local people culture, needs and potentials

**Figure 8.** Diagram depicting status classes for Amazon bio-industry products based on the amount of technology involved in their making and the degree to which they are closer or further to their original raw material state as

furnished by nature [21].

roba (Amazonoil company), among many other.

198 Land Use - Assessing the Past, Envisioning the Future

diagram in **Figure 8** shows the result of this qualitative analysis.

The *Amazonia Third Way* initiative is conceived as a disruptive social and technological transformation toward a sustainable Amazonian development path. It calls for '*an Amazon-specific Fourth Industrial Revolution innovation (4IR) "ecosystem". This system must be able to rapidly prototype and scale innovations that apply a combination of advanced digital, biological, and material technologies to the Amazon's renewable natural resources, biomimetic assets, environmental services, and biodiverse molecules and materials'* [2].

In support of socioeconomic development, systemic innovations will also apply to enhancing biodiversity-based value chains. Ideally, these would shape a unique 'Amazon-brand' able to conquer global markets [61–63].

The Amazonia Third Way Initiative promotes in-depth research on alternative pathways for sustainably developing the Amazon territory, in harmony with the twenty-first century's Zeitgeist. Forests in the Amazon are the result of evolution over millions of years. Nature has developed a wide variety of biological assets, which include metabolic pathways, and genes of life on land, in aquatic ecosystems, and in their natural products—both, chemical and material—in conjunction with biomimetic assets, that is, the functions and processes used by nature.

4IR technologies increasingly harness these assets across many industries from pharmaceutics to energy, food, cosmetics, materials and mobility. Indeed, they are making profits, but to date these profits have not been channeled back to conserve the Amazon and to support the custodians of nature—indigenous and traditional communities—and also urban population in the region.

Within a proper legal and ethical framework, the Amazonia Third Way Initiative offers unprecedented opportunities to local populations to develop a vibrant, socially inclusive 'standing-forest, flowing-river' green economy. By harnessing nature's value through physical, digital and biological technologies of the 4th Industrial Revolution, we can simultaneously protect the Amazon ecosystems and their traditional custodians.

The region is still largely disconnected from the main centers of technological innovation dealing with 4IR technologies and the advanced bio-economy. The Amazonia Third Way Initiative is conceived as a multi-level path toward a new inclusive bio-economy, combining a highly innovative, entrepreneurial and technological economy with the re-valuation of nontimber forest products and industries with low-end technologies.

#### **5.1. Determinants of sustainable development pathways for the Amazon**

The conceptual framework for the *Third Way* follows the overall structure of **Figure 9** for the determinants of sustainable pathways for the Amazon.

development, namely research, development and innovation; harnessing the Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to unlock the economic value of nature; and conducive regulatory framework; and those necessary to implement such novel paradigm, agroforestry systems; innovative entrepreneurship; bio-industries; product-based and knowledge-based value chains.

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Within the Amazonia Third Way initiative, an approach has been developed to operationalize the principles and practices that will allow a proposed paradigm shift for Amazon sustainable development. It defines seven interconnected realms: (1) the existing natural knowledge; (2) the ability for learning from nature; (3) the capacity to applying biodiversity-based knowledge to human needs; (4) the capacity to producing biodiversity-based goods and solutions; (5) the insertion of biodiversity-originated products on a local-to-global bio-economy; (6) the fair sharing of socioeconomic benefits and life quality improvement for all; and (7) the rising of an Amazon Biome intrinsic valuing. With the advancements of 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies and its wide accessibility, we identified ways it can interact and make feasible a game-changing realization of such realms. We call '**Amazonia 4.0**' the prospects of realization of these seven elements by means of technological accessibility and resources, and

The existing Natural knowledge is an initial condition of the system; it does not depend on any human technology. It is a source of information we inherited from evolutionary processes, occurring associated with 3.7 billion years old life on Earth. The A3W initiative targets

Learning from Nature is inherent to humans ever since we became a species (*Homo sapiens*) as a part of the Natural system. Ancient and traditional knowledge come greatly from observing and interacting with the natural elements. As we evolve, we became more apt to understand Nature's intrinsic knowledge with the building of science and its instruments. With 4IR technologies, which include biotechnology, advanced computing, genomics, nanosciences, materials science and advanced sensor platforms, we can learn from Nature in a depth and

Applying knowledge from Nature to human needs is the next natural consequence. This is the realm of invention and innovation. 4IR technologies can boost invention and prototyping of new products and solutions. More than just facilitating invention, it creates demand for

Once a new biodiversity-based product or solution is developed, producing it in varying scales is the next outcome. It may utilize biodiversity inputs directly on its making or can only be sourced from biodiversity knowledge. To carryout industrial operation in the Amazon has been always a challenging, if not impossible, operation. With the changes brought by 4IR technologies and market demands, industrial equipment became smarter, lighter and customizable. It became possible to have plenty of electrical solar-powered energy in the forest, with equipment connected with satellite internet and local crews trained with virtual and augmented reality, for example. With 4IR technologies, including advanced sensors and AI, it is possible to control more precisely the use of natural resources to prevent possible negative impacts.

**5.2. Fourth Industrial Revolution and innovation ecosystems in the Amazon**

market transformation made available by the 4IR.

to keep it going its course, valorizing it in many ways.

new solutions, advanced materials and innovative products.

such fast pace never imagined before.

At the broader level, **first** we need to understand the nature of the socioeconomic and political drivers accounting for the rapid transformation of the Amazon in the last 50 years and the consequences of the resource-intensive development policies in action in contrast with the view of forest preservation and setting aside large tracts for conservation.

As mentioned before, the Third Way Initiative is not one more attempt to reconcile resourceintensive development with conservation. Instead, it will seek to implement the twenty-first century paradigm of knowledge societies to Amazon realities through research and development, entrepreneurship, twenty-first century skills and education, and fit for purpose sustainable development policies toward a standing forests-flowing rivers inclusive bio-economy.

**Second**, we deal with solution spaces, recognizing that an important effort has been done to identify and diagnose the risks to the Amazon of the current development actions and policies, including their fragilities. We are in urgent need to find feasible solutions of a different nature: driven by communities and by an entrepreneurial revolution powered by the Fourth Industrial Revolution and not only by powerful legacies, assisted by altogether more sustainable policies based on knowledge, be it scientific/technological or traditional.

**Third**, we discuss in more detail the role of some key enablers and catalysts to jumpstart sustainable pathways for the Amazon in two categories, those to enable a biodiversity-based

**Figure 9.** Determinants of sustainable pathways for the Amazon. The Amazonia third way initiative seeks '*to add value to the heart of the forest' by promoting a* novel sustainable development paradigm based upon harnessing biological and biomimetic assets of Amazon biodiversity.

development, namely research, development and innovation; harnessing the Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to unlock the economic value of nature; and conducive regulatory framework; and those necessary to implement such novel paradigm, agroforestry systems; innovative entrepreneurship; bio-industries; product-based and knowledge-based value chains.

#### **5.2. Fourth Industrial Revolution and innovation ecosystems in the Amazon**

**5.1. Determinants of sustainable development pathways for the Amazon**

view of forest preservation and setting aside large tracts for conservation.

able policies based on knowledge, be it scientific/technological or traditional.

determinants of sustainable pathways for the Amazon.

200 Land Use - Assessing the Past, Envisioning the Future

The conceptual framework for the *Third Way* follows the overall structure of **Figure 9** for the

At the broader level, **first** we need to understand the nature of the socioeconomic and political drivers accounting for the rapid transformation of the Amazon in the last 50 years and the consequences of the resource-intensive development policies in action in contrast with the

As mentioned before, the Third Way Initiative is not one more attempt to reconcile resourceintensive development with conservation. Instead, it will seek to implement the twenty-first century paradigm of knowledge societies to Amazon realities through research and development, entrepreneurship, twenty-first century skills and education, and fit for purpose sustainable development policies toward a standing forests-flowing rivers inclusive bio-economy.

**Second**, we deal with solution spaces, recognizing that an important effort has been done to identify and diagnose the risks to the Amazon of the current development actions and policies, including their fragilities. We are in urgent need to find feasible solutions of a different nature: driven by communities and by an entrepreneurial revolution powered by the Fourth Industrial Revolution and not only by powerful legacies, assisted by altogether more sustain-

**Third**, we discuss in more detail the role of some key enablers and catalysts to jumpstart sustainable pathways for the Amazon in two categories, those to enable a biodiversity-based

**Figure 9.** Determinants of sustainable pathways for the Amazon. The Amazonia third way initiative seeks '*to add value to the heart of the forest' by promoting a* novel sustainable development paradigm based upon harnessing biological and

biomimetic assets of Amazon biodiversity.

Within the Amazonia Third Way initiative, an approach has been developed to operationalize the principles and practices that will allow a proposed paradigm shift for Amazon sustainable development. It defines seven interconnected realms: (1) the existing natural knowledge; (2) the ability for learning from nature; (3) the capacity to applying biodiversity-based knowledge to human needs; (4) the capacity to producing biodiversity-based goods and solutions; (5) the insertion of biodiversity-originated products on a local-to-global bio-economy; (6) the fair sharing of socioeconomic benefits and life quality improvement for all; and (7) the rising of an Amazon Biome intrinsic valuing. With the advancements of 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies and its wide accessibility, we identified ways it can interact and make feasible a game-changing realization of such realms. We call '**Amazonia 4.0**' the prospects of realization of these seven elements by means of technological accessibility and resources, and market transformation made available by the 4IR.

The existing Natural knowledge is an initial condition of the system; it does not depend on any human technology. It is a source of information we inherited from evolutionary processes, occurring associated with 3.7 billion years old life on Earth. The A3W initiative targets to keep it going its course, valorizing it in many ways.

Learning from Nature is inherent to humans ever since we became a species (*Homo sapiens*) as a part of the Natural system. Ancient and traditional knowledge come greatly from observing and interacting with the natural elements. As we evolve, we became more apt to understand Nature's intrinsic knowledge with the building of science and its instruments. With 4IR technologies, which include biotechnology, advanced computing, genomics, nanosciences, materials science and advanced sensor platforms, we can learn from Nature in a depth and such fast pace never imagined before.

Applying knowledge from Nature to human needs is the next natural consequence. This is the realm of invention and innovation. 4IR technologies can boost invention and prototyping of new products and solutions. More than just facilitating invention, it creates demand for new solutions, advanced materials and innovative products.

Once a new biodiversity-based product or solution is developed, producing it in varying scales is the next outcome. It may utilize biodiversity inputs directly on its making or can only be sourced from biodiversity knowledge. To carryout industrial operation in the Amazon has been always a challenging, if not impossible, operation. With the changes brought by 4IR technologies and market demands, industrial equipment became smarter, lighter and customizable. It became possible to have plenty of electrical solar-powered energy in the forest, with equipment connected with satellite internet and local crews trained with virtual and augmented reality, for example. With 4IR technologies, including advanced sensors and AI, it is possible to control more precisely the use of natural resources to prevent possible negative impacts.

Insertion of biodiversity-originated products on a local-to-global bio-economy is a key for driving wide interest in conserving the bio-assets. Different than the traditional model of supplying commodities for further processing and generating value away from its origins, 4IR technologies and new manufacturing paradigm eases and redefines the possibilities to produce in close association with the local people on local environments, yet reaching global markets. Complicated logistic typical of a vast forest territory can be easily offset using selfflying cargo drones, for example.

As results of the long-standing Program to Protect the Rainforests of Brazil (PPG-7) show, the lack of entrepreneurial skills has stood in the way of developing a non-timber bio-economy in the Amazon. Only with field-based knowledge and supporting academic curricula can tap into the Amazon's biological and biomimetic assets, and the mainstreaming of a standing forest-flowing river, biodiversity-based bio-economy be achieved. To do that, we propose the development of a capacity program 'Amazon Creative Labs' (ACL). The program is designed to promote technical, technological and entrepreneurial capacity development focused on non-timber products of the Amazon biodiversity, with training events carried out directly at

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We propose the launching of Amazon Creative Labs (ACLs)—laboratories for innovative experimentation set up throughout Amazonia. They will provide intensive training linked to local potentials to generate a virtuous insertion on bio-economy-related new opportunities. Typically, Creative Labs will be located in smaller communities, villages and towns, assembled on tents or on floating platforms packed with state-of-the-art equipment and technology

Amazon Creative Labs will enable development of small-scale innovation ecosystems for codesign, co-development and co-creation of solutions and applications, serving as an effective

The Amazon Creative Labs will operationalize sustainable 'Solution Spaces' (see **Figure 1**). It is of critical importance that the Labs be community oriented, joining technology and traditional knowledge, and designed to contribute toward a strong local and regional economy. The Labs will promote capacity development activities focused on a number of products of Amazon biodiversity illustrative of an array of bio-economic and even bio-artistic applications, such as food, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, fragrances, pharmaceuticals, industrial oils, art crafts, bio-art, biomimicry, etc. Training activities can enable local communities to gather more information on the natural resources available to them, including the use of high-end

The exposure to 4IR technologies will allow innovative concepts to emerge. With the assistance of technology experts on the one hand, and entrepreneurship specialists on the other, groups of participants from Amazonian communities, villages and towns will be invited to develop new applications and to prototype (at least digitally) such innovations. The Labs' creative environment will bring 4IR concepts like mass customization, democratized invention and smart & autonomous factories, powered by Industrial IoT, to a meaningful level with practical outcomes accessible at planned local and regional clusters of custom-sized process-

Alongside communities—forest people, riverine communities and agroforestry farmers young undergraduate or just graduated students interested in creating sustainable biodiversity-based businesses in the Amazon will be engaged. The expectation is that such 'on the

The Amazon Creative Labs design includes solar photovoltaic panels, convertors and batteries, for steady power supplying, and connection to broadband satellite internet. These features will allow digital, internet-connected equipment to work for prototyping potential

for both, wide audience learning processes and core value chain local development.

local communities and towns throughout Amazon region.

interface with the knowledge and practices of the Amazon people.

technologies such as, genome sequencing.

ground' collaboration will give rise to new partnerships.

ing and manufacturing plants.

Fair sharing of socioeconomic benefits and life quality improvement for all involved, including forest stakeholders and final consumers can be levered by 4IR technologies and social changes brought by the technological revolution. With distributed ledger technologies like blockchain and holochain, we propose the creation of the Amazon BioBank. It is a framework for attributing value to many instances of Amazon socio-biodiversity. Biological assets, biomimetic insights and discoveries, traditional knowledge, local people forest skills and other sources of resources will be registered in the Amazon BioBank digital platform through holochain distributed ledger technology [64]. The Amazon BioBank share common principles with the Earth Bank of Codes [65].

Aside from any specific technology, the ultimate, long-term result of these chain of events and realizations would be the rising of a socially shared Amazon Biome intrinsic value. The social valuing of Nature and its knowledge as an end in itself is an ideal state of relationship between humans and other elements of the natural system. By becoming acquainted and perceiving many times actual benefit from products and solution based on the Amazon biodiversity, made available by the chain of events depicted above, one can realize the value of the tropical forest. As a utilitarian value first, that over time may crystalize as core life, intrinsic value, forming the personal and social foundations to hold attitudes and behaviors that imply, support and demand conserving the Amazon Biome.

The 'innovation ecosystems' proposed in the Amazonia Third Way initiative are creative-productive arrangements based on the Amazon 4.0 principles that synergistically align several '*ignition powers'* for a novel Amazon bio-economy. Major research laboratories and universities are knowledge centers on biodiversity. Processes, molecules and genetic information with potential for diverse uses are discovered on daily basis. Start-ups are companies that specialize in rapidly transforming knowledge into business that tends to transform traditional consumer and service markets. Prospects for the industries with Internet of Things, or 4.0, announce new products to be created with computational tools, to be 'uploaded' and produced at any scale. Inventors and new businesses can idealize customized or niche-specific products, which are done automatically, even overnight. A dynamically well-developed and structured environment for locally rooted associations of (1) knowledge, (2) business and (3) production form the 'innovation ecosystems'. They are a way for transforming the biological wealth of the Amazon into economic wealth, locally anchored, with social benefits for communities and sustainable mechanisms for conservation of the forest.

### **5.3. Capacity development as a necessary condition for the Amazonia Third Way initiative**

To begin to walk down the *Third Way* we need, above all, capacity development.

As results of the long-standing Program to Protect the Rainforests of Brazil (PPG-7) show, the lack of entrepreneurial skills has stood in the way of developing a non-timber bio-economy in the Amazon. Only with field-based knowledge and supporting academic curricula can tap into the Amazon's biological and biomimetic assets, and the mainstreaming of a standing forest-flowing river, biodiversity-based bio-economy be achieved. To do that, we propose the development of a capacity program 'Amazon Creative Labs' (ACL). The program is designed to promote technical, technological and entrepreneurial capacity development focused on non-timber products of the Amazon biodiversity, with training events carried out directly at local communities and towns throughout Amazon region.

Insertion of biodiversity-originated products on a local-to-global bio-economy is a key for driving wide interest in conserving the bio-assets. Different than the traditional model of supplying commodities for further processing and generating value away from its origins, 4IR technologies and new manufacturing paradigm eases and redefines the possibilities to produce in close association with the local people on local environments, yet reaching global markets. Complicated logistic typical of a vast forest territory can be easily offset using self-

Fair sharing of socioeconomic benefits and life quality improvement for all involved, including forest stakeholders and final consumers can be levered by 4IR technologies and social changes brought by the technological revolution. With distributed ledger technologies like blockchain and holochain, we propose the creation of the Amazon BioBank. It is a framework for attributing value to many instances of Amazon socio-biodiversity. Biological assets, biomimetic insights and discoveries, traditional knowledge, local people forest skills and other sources of resources will be registered in the Amazon BioBank digital platform through holochain distributed ledger technology [64]. The Amazon BioBank share common principles

Aside from any specific technology, the ultimate, long-term result of these chain of events and realizations would be the rising of a socially shared Amazon Biome intrinsic value. The social valuing of Nature and its knowledge as an end in itself is an ideal state of relationship between humans and other elements of the natural system. By becoming acquainted and perceiving many times actual benefit from products and solution based on the Amazon biodiversity, made available by the chain of events depicted above, one can realize the value of the tropical forest. As a utilitarian value first, that over time may crystalize as core life, intrinsic value, forming the personal and social foundations to hold attitudes and behaviors

The 'innovation ecosystems' proposed in the Amazonia Third Way initiative are creative-productive arrangements based on the Amazon 4.0 principles that synergistically align several '*ignition powers'* for a novel Amazon bio-economy. Major research laboratories and universities are knowledge centers on biodiversity. Processes, molecules and genetic information with potential for diverse uses are discovered on daily basis. Start-ups are companies that specialize in rapidly transforming knowledge into business that tends to transform traditional consumer and service markets. Prospects for the industries with Internet of Things, or 4.0, announce new products to be created with computational tools, to be 'uploaded' and produced at any scale. Inventors and new businesses can idealize customized or niche-specific products, which are done automatically, even overnight. A dynamically well-developed and structured environment for locally rooted associations of (1) knowledge, (2) business and (3) production form the 'innovation ecosystems'. They are a way for transforming the biological wealth of the Amazon into economic wealth, locally anchored, with social benefits for com-

that imply, support and demand conserving the Amazon Biome.

munities and sustainable mechanisms for conservation of the forest.

**5.3. Capacity development as a necessary condition for the Amazonia Third Way** 

To begin to walk down the *Third Way* we need, above all, capacity development.

flying cargo drones, for example.

202 Land Use - Assessing the Past, Envisioning the Future

with the Earth Bank of Codes [65].

**initiative**

We propose the launching of Amazon Creative Labs (ACLs)—laboratories for innovative experimentation set up throughout Amazonia. They will provide intensive training linked to local potentials to generate a virtuous insertion on bio-economy-related new opportunities. Typically, Creative Labs will be located in smaller communities, villages and towns, assembled on tents or on floating platforms packed with state-of-the-art equipment and technology for both, wide audience learning processes and core value chain local development.

Amazon Creative Labs will enable development of small-scale innovation ecosystems for codesign, co-development and co-creation of solutions and applications, serving as an effective interface with the knowledge and practices of the Amazon people.

The Amazon Creative Labs will operationalize sustainable 'Solution Spaces' (see **Figure 1**). It is of critical importance that the Labs be community oriented, joining technology and traditional knowledge, and designed to contribute toward a strong local and regional economy.

The Labs will promote capacity development activities focused on a number of products of Amazon biodiversity illustrative of an array of bio-economic and even bio-artistic applications, such as food, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, fragrances, pharmaceuticals, industrial oils, art crafts, bio-art, biomimicry, etc. Training activities can enable local communities to gather more information on the natural resources available to them, including the use of high-end technologies such as, genome sequencing.

The exposure to 4IR technologies will allow innovative concepts to emerge. With the assistance of technology experts on the one hand, and entrepreneurship specialists on the other, groups of participants from Amazonian communities, villages and towns will be invited to develop new applications and to prototype (at least digitally) such innovations. The Labs' creative environment will bring 4IR concepts like mass customization, democratized invention and smart & autonomous factories, powered by Industrial IoT, to a meaningful level with practical outcomes accessible at planned local and regional clusters of custom-sized processing and manufacturing plants.

Alongside communities—forest people, riverine communities and agroforestry farmers young undergraduate or just graduated students interested in creating sustainable biodiversity-based businesses in the Amazon will be engaged. The expectation is that such 'on the ground' collaboration will give rise to new partnerships.

The Amazon Creative Labs design includes solar photovoltaic panels, convertors and batteries, for steady power supplying, and connection to broadband satellite internet. These features will allow digital, internet-connected equipment to work for prototyping potential applications of new products and processes. These infrastructures, operating in remote regions of the Amazon, are also proof of concept of how the newest available and accessible technologies can reach and benefit the whole spectrum of the social pyramid, from their everyday life to new work opportunities.

molecular coding of life. To achieve this, the Lab will make use of optical and portable electron scanning microscopes and virtual and augmented reality gear, furnished with contents to experience and understand organic chemistry complex structures. At the end, participants will carry out actual DNA sequencing through ultra-portable genome sequencers, allowing for registering genomes of species and benefiting from the provisions of benefit sharing of the

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Systemic risks to the maintenance of the Amazon forest due to the synergistic combination of the main human drivers of change—namely regional climate change due to both deforestation and global warming, and augmented forest vulnerability due to fires—poses an urgent challenge to avoid an irreversible threshold being transgressed that would threaten to turn

The natural resource-intensive mode of development (the Second Way) is the dominant mode of development and receives generous government subsidies for its continued advancement. Investments in conservation, forest restoration and a sustainable economy in the global tropics of about \$20 billion annually receive less than 3% of total investments. The bulk of investments (around \$770 billion annually) goes to the expansion of commodities frontier of cattle, grains, oil palm [66] and also to road, energy and mining infrastructure, which are also key drivers of deforestation [67]. One more detrimental effect of such path is the increasing rural violence in the Amazon. Brazil has the highest number of assassinated rural and environmen-

It is becoming crystal clear that trying to reconcile resource-intensive development with conservation is not leading to lasting and permanent solutions. Deforestation rates are still very high and do not show a tendency to go down near zero and rural violence is on the rise. Social inequalities in the Amazon remain high and are not improving at a fast pace at least to bring social indicators to the national averages of the Amazonian countries. Imposing strict conservation to protect large swathes of the forest has had clear successes over the last decades in the Amazon—about 50% of the Amazon forest is under some kind of protection. However, that in itself does not guarantee protection forever for tropical forests and eventually may affect the livelihoods of local population as is the case documented for Madagascar [69] who may bear

The Amazon Third Way Initiative seeks to demonstrate the urgent need for a conceptual, educational and entrepreneurial revolution—a revolution based on knowledge, traditional and scientific. The current economy of meat, grain and timber in the Brazilian Amazon is less than \$10 billion a year. The economy associated to biological assets of Amazon biodiversity in a few industries (food, cosmetics, oils, etc.) is already worth 30% of that and distributes income in fairer ways and benefits more of the local population. However, that is a tiny portion of the potential of a sustainable economy hidden in the biological and biomimetic assets

**6. Discussion and conclusions: envisioning the future for the** 

over 50% of the forest in degraded savannas in the second half of this century [2].

tal leaders since 2015, with more than 140 killings, mostly in the Amazon [68].

a high cost for forest conservation.

Nagoya Protocol of Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS).

**Amazon**

ACLs also include a focus on the realm of biomimetic, that is, the functions, processes and mechanisms of living organisms that, once learned, can provide insights and solutions for engineering new technologies and innovative products. They also leverage applications, including the high-end of genetic resources and genomics; prototype innovative processing of materials through the diverse links of value chains—raw materials, intermediate products, all the way to finished products.

To illustrate the potential of ACLs, we designed the three following conceptual examples of applications, based on currently available technologies and equipment. A final design should incorporate new technological solutions specifically tailored for solving implementation and scaling challenges and include consultation with local communities for accessing their specific needs, priorities and potentials.

A line of Amazon Creative Labs will deal with value chains feed by inputs from local biodiversity and an example of that is themed after nutraceutical Cupulate, a chocolate made from the seeds of Amazon fruit Cupuaçu, instead of cacao. From forest picking to creating a final product that combines basic Cupulate with other products of very high nutritional value, the lab also includes utilizing a 3D food printer for unique chocolate designs and precise dosage of the added natural micronutrients. A by-product of Cupulate-making is cupuaçu pulp, which is then freeze-dried in a value chain of its own. Heavy-lift electric-powered drones can help overcome logistics challenges the region poses, by easily and quickly taking loads of nutraceutical cupulate sculptures and bars to a nearby gateway.

Another example of ACLs focus is the Brazil Nuts value chain, known for the discrepancies between its higher cost for consumers and the low remuneration local people who harvest it from the forest receive. To change this, in one end, the ACLs will target extractivism issues, like processes precariousness that halts productivity and seeds' price, with accessible technological resources including GIS mapping, micro-controlled sensors arrays (for health safety on seed's harvesting and storing) and comprehensive traceability systems (origin and processes). At the same time, ACLs will carry out further locally based nut processing, using equipment that extracts oil and flour, by-products with greater trading value. With top technical education and processes precisely controlled with the aid of computers, sensors and biotechnological checks for sanitary standards, it becomes possible to output export-grade quality products strait from the forest vicinities. Those inputs also allow bringing to small villages the manufacture of even more processed products targeted to the natural cosmetics and nutraceuticals markets.

Another line of ACLs will tackle the potential of making Amazon local inhabitants aware of the genetic value of biodiversity and to take part in genome sequencing projects. The lab will take participants into a knowledge journey departing from the biodiversity that can be seen all the way to the microscopic and nanoscopic structures of it, and to the grasping of the molecular coding of life. To achieve this, the Lab will make use of optical and portable electron scanning microscopes and virtual and augmented reality gear, furnished with contents to experience and understand organic chemistry complex structures. At the end, participants will carry out actual DNA sequencing through ultra-portable genome sequencers, allowing for registering genomes of species and benefiting from the provisions of benefit sharing of the Nagoya Protocol of Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS).
