Quae mutata sunt? No extrativismo vegetal da Amazônia Amapaense

Throughout Brazilian history, extractivism has played a fundamental role in society, shaping a form of territorial organization in the Amazon region, that has been maintained by traditional peoples and communities. In this context, the Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) extractivism in Amapá State has held historical, social, economic, and environmental significance since this state’s formation. This paper aimed to analyze the historical process of Brazil nut extractivism and the changes that occurred after the creation of the Rio Cajari Extractive Reserve (Resex, Brazilian acronym) in Amapá. The methodology consisted of descriptive and exploratory research with a qualitative approach, carried out through twenty-six interviews with local stakeholders involved in Brazil nut in Amapá from 2023 to 2024. The data were analyzed by the Collective Subject Discourse (CSD) technique, with the support of the Web Qualitative Data Analysis (WebQDA) software. The results showed that the Brazil nut extractivism before the creation of this Resex was marked by reliance on patronage, absence of guaranteed land rights, and territorial monopolization. The establishment of this Resex enabled a new form of territorial management, the preservation of natural resources, the right to market products, and the organization of local institutions. It is concluded that the Brazil nut extractivism prior to this Resex was characterized by economic exploitation of the extractivists, and that, after its creation, the extractive practices were positively transformed, ensuring land rights, territorial management, improvements in quality of life, and the strengthening the extratvism in Amapá.