Forests, Fields, and Pastures: Unequal Access to Brazil Nuts and Livelihood Strategies in an Extractive Reserve, Brazilian Amazon

This article examines access to an economically important forest product (Brazil nuts) and its relationship with livelihood strategies in the Cazumbá–Iracema Extractive Reserve (CIER), Acre, Brazil. The objective is twofold: (i) clarify how social mechanisms regulating Brazil nuts operate (ii) analyse between differential diversification terms of cash income. For this, we conducted 55 semi-structured interviews household heads three rubber tapper (seringueiro) communities. Our findings indicate that are seringueiro livelihoods, although both highly variable households Limited partly overcome through informal arrangements investment wage labour, swidden agriculture, cattle raising, as part diversified portfolios. However, restrictions agriculture raising generate considerable tensions many seringueiros environmental managers. We highlight importance viewing adaptability components long-term viability extractive reserve model, particularly context growing uncertainties risks associated accelerating climate socio-environmental change well amidst ongoing political dynamics