This study examines the socioeconomic and environmental
implications of the new camu camu industry in Peru. Camu camu
(Myrciaria dubia) is a small tree native to wetlands of the Amazon
basin. It is especially abundant in Peruvian Amazonia. The high
vitamin-C content of the fruit has generated interest in exporting
camu camu products from Amazonia to more-developed countries. The
government of Peru has been actively promoting this new extractive
industry, as well as the planting of camu camu in rural areas.
Non-governmental development organizations and private industry are
now actively involved with camu camu projects and enterprises. In
Peru, enthusiasm for this native species is high, because camu camu
is expected to provide a much-needed and sustainable economic boost
for the region. However, many questions about the environmental
implications and socioeconomic impacts of the camu camu export
industry need to be answered in order to understand its ecological
and economic viability, and its effects on business and in rural
communities. Findings indicate that camu camu has provided
significantly more income to rural residents than is provided by
the traditional boom and bust economies of Amazonia. Households who
adopted camu camu as a new crop in their floodplain agroforestry
systems farmed significantly more floodplain land than
non-adopters, and were especially adept at experimenting with new
innovations. Lack of agricultural credit is a major constraint to
adopting camu camu as a new crop in Peru. Geographic isolation and
the location of processing facilities in relation to fruit harvests
present major obstacles to the economic viability of the new
industry. Camu camu was found to be cultivated with a higher
diversity of annual crops than is typical in floodplain fields of
the region. Extraction of camu camu fruits from the wild does not
appear to have a negative environmental impact, at least in the
initial years of the industry. This non-timber forest product in
the process of domestication can support a viable industry in the
Peruvian Amazon, if agricultural extension methods and marketing
channels are improved.
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