Last week, staff members from our Alliance, comprised of Amazon Conservation, Conservación Amazónica – ACCA, and Conservación Amazónica – ACEAA attended the 15th Annual meeting of the Governors’ Climate & Forests Task Force (GCF Task Force) in Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil. The event this year set up essential  discussions regarding the co-construction of a New Forest Economy that strengthens forest protection, supports land restoration, and fosters sustainable economic growth and job opportunities across the region.

The GCF Task Force was established in 2008 to bring together a coalition of states and provinces across 11 countries to safeguard tropical forests and advance practical approaches to rural development that preserve these forests. Today, it’s the world’s largest platform for this type of subnational collaboration dedicated to tropical forest protection, consolidating a network of entities to support strong environmental governance, green financing, protection of territorial rights, and the well-being of Indigenous Peoples and local communities to strategize effective subnational, national, and international pathways for sustainable economic development that supports livelihoods and reduces deforestation.

Similar to our community-integrated approach to conservation that empowers local people, our Alliance has been working to build a forest-based economy in Peru and Bolivia for the past 10+ years, and is currently working on expanding these efforts into Brazil. We consider this approach to be one of the most effective ways to avoid forest conversion in the long term by providing economic opportunities that rely on standing forests. 

This year’s annual meeting marked an important step forward for Amazon Conservation, as our Alliance hosted a special side event called “People at the Center of Bioeconomic Transitions: Uniting Small Producers, Indigenous Peoples, and Local Communities,” to share progress updates on the development of the bioeconomy and facilitate dialogues between local producers in the Madre de Dios (Peru), Acre (Brazil), and Pando (Bolivia) regions of the Amazon. “My family lives inside the Chico Mendes Reserve here in Acre. Mother Nature feeds us, so we must treat her with care. What we need now are credit lines that actually reach our cooperatives. We discussed that capital is one of the missing pieces for communities like ours”, emphasized Vanusa Ferreira, one of the leaders at Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve. 

The exchange of experiences among producers of these countries sparked fresh hope and a collaborative spirit grounded in shared missions. As Manoel de Jesus, President of the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve Association, said, “We’re going home energized. The proposals shaped here, together with partners from Peru, Bolivia, and beyond, show that when we stand united, we have a bright future.” 

Marcos Terán, Executive Director of Conservación Amazónica – ACEAA in Bolivia, added that “bringing producers from Peru and Bolivia to share lessons in Brazil charts a common road toward a forest-based bioeconomy. The southwestern Amazon is not just productive land, it’s a climate engine. Solutions must start with local actors to get them scaled up.”

This session also included engagement from private sector company representatives and investors who have integrated investing in Amazonian organizations and/or communities that harvest forest-based products, connecting small-scale producers and Indigenous communities with potential business partners. As discussions progressed, participants reflected on the challenges of investing in cross-border supply chains and climate adaptation, exploring strategic opportunities for joint impact, and implementing best practices to strengthen sustainable development for the bioeconomy. As we aim to expand these efforts into the productive forests of Brazil, this side event acted as a key space to further boost and support local initiatives that can bolster local producers’ entrance into the global non-timber forest product market. 

“A key insight from these dialogues is that increasing the value of Amazonian forest products, through integrated, internationally recognized supply chains, is vital for long-term forest conservation and for livelihoods that truly value and empower local communities,” concluded Blaise Bodin, Director of Strategy & Policy at Amazon Conservation.

Last week, Amazon Conservation Co-Founder Dr. Adrian Forsyth joined our Peruvian sister organization, Conservación Amazónica-ACCA, for a special event to celebrate the launch of the Spanish edition of his book, Tropical Nature (Naturaleza Tropical), which transforms the ecological complexity of tropical forests into captivating stories about nature that Forsyth witnessed himself during various expeditions throughout the Amazon biome. As a scientist, writer, and conservation leader, Forsyth has inspired generations of conservationists through his vivid vision and unwavering dedication to the Amazon and the Neotropics—regions that are vital to understanding our planet’s ecological health and shaping global conservation strategies. 

Tropical Nature offers a unique perspective on the intricate ecological functions of the Neotropics, meant to inspire generations of biologists and naturalists to learn more about the interconnectedness of plant and animal species with human welfare. Forsyth writes in the book’s introduction, “Our purpose is not merely to set down a compendium of interesting facts about tropical nature, but to provoke curiosity about how such a complex world might function and how it might have evolved.” He later wrote, “We felt a need for a book addressing the natural history of tropical rainforests that would be accessible to the legion of naturalists and interested laymen in the temperate zone who might wish to learn something of this remarkable world today.” Now, the Spanish edition of this iconic book can reach a new audience of conservationists located in and around one of the world’s most significant Neotropical regions. 

The event “An Afternoon For Conservation with Adrian Forsyth,” hosted in Lima, Peru, celebrated the official launch of Naturaleza Tropical, and recognized Forsyth’s more than forty years of dedication to exploring and conserving this vital region that inspired this book. The event began with welcoming remarks from María Elena Gutiérrez, Executive Director of Conservación Amazónica-ACCA, who highlighted Forsyth’s profound impact on the protection of tropical forests and the formation of a global community of scientists and conservationists committed to the Amazon. She also extended special thanks to The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, whose generous support made it possible to publish this renowned work in Spanish. Key figures of the conservation world, including Amazon Conservation Co-Founder Enrique Ortiz; Avecita Chicchón and Aileen Lee of The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; and prominent international scientists such as Miles Silman, Michael Goulding, Russell Mittermeier, and John Terborgh, also shared moving accounts of Forsyth’s prolific accomplishments and his influence on their lives and careers.

Corine Vriesendorp, Conservacion Amazonica-ACCA’s Director of Science, led the presentation of Naturaleza Tropical, followed by a special appearance by photographer and editor Walter Wust, who highlighted how Forsyth invites us, through his written lines, to marvel at the simple things in life and nature. The event also featured a panel with Peruvian university professors who discussed the book’s relevance to the current challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, as well as its impact on new generations of conservationists. 

“This book is a masterpiece. The way it describes dung beetles is fascinating, and I found the chapter on canyons of light fantastic. The epiphytes, the small details… everything is told with unique sensibility,” remarked Marc Dourojeanni, Professor Emeritus at the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, during the event. “Not much is written at this level in Spanish; this edition will allow many technocrats, students, park rangers, and guides to better understand what they observe. It is the universe of the minuscule, of patient observation. There are many imprecise interpretations out there, and this work helps restore wonder and respect for tropical nature.” 

Forsyth shared how a National Geographic article from the 1960s about the Vilcabamba mountain range in Peru that he read at the age of 13 shaped his desire to pursue a career in conservation. He recalled how that first encounter with the Amazon eventually drew him deep into its heart – trekking in muddy boots, with no map or fixed plan, guided only by a single purpose: to protect it. He spoke of his deep devotion to Peru, describing how a place that once felt like a distant dream became the center of his life thanks to the support of people, such as Peruvian environmentalist Carlos Ponce del Prado, among many others who accompanied him along his journey. Forsyth also highlighted the importance of Peru’s system of natural protected areas, a unique model for conservation that the world should follow. 

Adrian Forsyth receiving a gift in recognition of this prolific career

In his closing remarks at the event, Forsyth issued an important call to action: “In a world where new generations are growing up increasingly disconnected from nature, if this book inspires even one more person to explore the tropics and fight for their protection, then it will have been worthwhile.” In recognition of his legacy, Forsyth received a sculpture of the “Blue Beast of Death,” or dung beetle, one of the species he studied the most throughout his life. As the largest coprophagous beetle in South America, the dung beetle plays a crucial role in recycling nutrients and thus symbolizes the health of forests.

We at Amazon Conservation are extremely proud to celebrate the vision that our Co-Founders, Dr. Adrian Forsyth and Enrique Ortiz, planted more than 25 years ago: to create an organization dedicated to protecting the planet’s most diverse landscapes, training new conservation leaders, and working alongside communities for a sustainable future. Today, we, along with our sister organizations, Conservación Amazonica–ACCA and Conservación Amazonica–ACEAA, continue to work towards making this dream a reality by promoting high-level scientific research and fostering ways of living in harmony with the Amazon ecosystem. Our vision for a prosperous,  resilient, and thriving Amazon remains resolute, and the inspiration of leaders like Dr. Adrian Forsyth paves our path towards effective conservation solutions with hope, commitment, and determination. 

Watch the recording for “An Afternoon for Conservation with Adrian Forsyth.”

As gold prices continue to increase, small-scale gold mining activity continues to be one of the major deforestation drivers across the Amazon, often targeting remote areas and impacting carbon-rich primary forests. These mining activities are presumed to be illegal based on their location in conservation areas (such as protected areas and Indigenous territories) and outside mining concessions.

Given the Amazon’s vastness, it has been challenging to monitor mining deforestation accurately and regularly across all nine countries to better inform related policies in a timely manner. To address this challenge, Amazon Conservation, in partnership with Earth Genome and the Pulitzer Center’s Rainforest Investigations Network, created Amazon Mining Watch: an AI-powered dashboard to address this challenge. This online tool analyzes satellite imagery to estimate annual and cumulative mining deforestation across the entire Amazon, providing actionable data for management and conservation purposes in near real-time at national and regional levels.

In a previous report on the Amazon Mining Watch dashboard, MAAP #212,  we presented the initial results of mining activities from  2018 to 2024. Our newest report, MAAP #226, presents an update focused on the newly added 2024 data.

This report highlights several major findings:

• Gold mining is actively causing deforestation in all nine countries of the Amazon. This impact is concentrated in three major areas: southeast Brazil, the Guyana Shield, and southern Peru. In addition, mining in Ecuador is escalating.
• The cumulative mining deforestation footprint in 2024 was over 2 million hectares (nearly 5 million acres) and has increased by over 50% in the past six years.
• Over half of all Amazon mining deforestation occurred in Brazil, followed by Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, and Peru.
• While the cumulative footprint continues to grow, the rate of increase slowed in 2024 after peaking in 2022, likely due to increased enforcement in Brazil. In 2024, we documented the new gold mining deforestation of 111,603 hectares (275,777 acres). This total represents a decrease of 45% relative to the peak year 2022.
• Over one-third of the mining deforestation has occurred within protected areas and Indigenous territories, where much of it is likely illegal. The top nine most impacted protected areas are all in Brazil, led by the Tapajós Environmental Protection Area. The three most impacted Indigenous territories are also in Brazil (Kayapó, Mundurucu, and Yanomami), followed by territories in Venezuela and southern Peru.
• These results have important policy implications, and we discuss examples in Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador.

Read the full report.

Seeing the drastic effects that deforestation has had on the Amazon, many Amazonian nations have begun to coordinate responses for stronger environmental protection, resulting in increased political and financial commitments for conservation initiatives in the Amazon. In 2023’s Belém Declaration (an agreement signed by leaders across 8 Amazonian countries to promote regional cooperation and strengthen environmental governance to protect the Amazon), these nations agreed to “combine the efforts of their governments […] to avoid the point of no return in the Amazon.” However, the challenges to sustain these developments under extractive, and often unsustainable, economies have raised a new question: how can we evaluate and track the progress of these initiatives and their impacts to ensure conservation goals are being met? 

As the international community’s attention turns to the Amazon once again leading up to this year’s COP30 in Belém, Brazil, many civil society organizations are increasingly recognizing the need for an evaluation method to assess the gap between scientific recommendations to avoid a tipping point, the ambitions stated by regional governments, and the actual policies implemented to garner solutions at national and sub-national levels. Through the Amazon Conservation Alliance (comprised of Amazon Conservation, Conservación Amazónica – ACCA, and Conservación Amazónica – ACEAA) and its vast network of partners, we have developed a unique concept: creating an ‘Amazon Gap Report’ to assess how the policies and regulations in place align with specific conservation objectives. From these reports, civil society and NGOs can help devise recommendations on how to fill any potential gaps in achieving these goals. Essentially, this gap report can act as a ‘scorecard’ for various Amazonian nations, and could evolve into a regular annual exercise to track progress and link science, policy, and improvements over time. 

Earlier this month, our Director of Strategy and Policy Blaise Bodin, attended a meeting in Rondônia, Brazil, with our partners Instituto Centro de Vida (ICV), to discuss the potential of this scorecard system and its implementation leading up to COP30. The organization had previously been working on a localized observatory in the state of Mato Grasso, which would act as a communication platform for civil society, NGOs, and local people to exchange data on deforestation happening in the Amazon. Upon hearing of a potential Amazon-wide version of this, and seeing successes from platforms of similar use such as the Amazon Mining Watch and Clean Air NDC Scorecard, members of ICV brought together partners across the region to assess the relevance of this scorecard system for state-level action, evaluate how existing initiatives to can contribute to new methodologies and input data for this system, and define the priorities and processes for developing evaluation criteria. Furthermore, as Amazon Conservation anticipates its expansion of our iconic landscapes into the productive forests of Brazil to widen the scale of our forest-based economy efforts, partnering with these NGOs can help establish our regional presence in Brazil as a leading conservation organization, increasing our impacts on the ground across the Amazon.

When it comes to developing conservation solutions for the Amazon, creating common methodologies can often be difficult given the complex political contexts across different Amazonian countries. “A central component of these ‘scorecards’ is developing a standardized framework to evaluate the ambition and effectiveness of governments at all levels across the Amazon, which must be both comparable across multiple jurisdictions and capable of generating insights at the regional scale,” explains Blaise. To ensure that the exercise is relevant to local contexts, this project will draw on a vast network of civil society organizations across the Amazon, both for formulating the criteria used for the evaluation and their application to each national and sub-national context.

By implementing these gap reports, we aim to develop these ‘scorecards’ with their application methodologies by this year’s COP30, a globally significant conservation event that can act as a space to present the results and deliver the scores to  identified leaders in the region, as well as national and sub-national governments. Amazon Conservation will host a regional workshop with civil society partners at the subnational level in the States of the Brazilian Amazon, along with those in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia to develop common criteria for assessing the action of governments in terms of: 

• Setting of targets related to the Amazon, such as reducing deforestation, emissions from forests, other impacts e.g., mercury pollution, in addition to forest restoration and investments in building forest-based economies
• Policies taken to implement these targets, such as land-use designation and infrastructure planning, and fiscal incentives (both negative and positive)
• Effectiveness of interventions against illegal deforestation and other environmental crimes, assessed through indicators of forest and forest carbon loss, and responsiveness of enforcement authorities to notifications of illegal deforestation cases
• Efforts to secure international funding by assessing preparedness for different types of financing 

As we move forward, we anticipate our participation at this year’s COP30 to communicate on the results and call attention to remaining policy gaps, helping ensure long-term conservation in the Amazon and convening all partners contributing to the reports, as well as amplifying indigenous representations. 

A special thank you to our partners who are helping us with this initiative: 

• Instituto Centro de Vida – ICV (Brazil)
• Science Panel for the Amazon 
• Conservación Amazónica – ACCA (Peru) 
• Conservación Amazónica – ACEAA (Bolivia) 
• Fundación para la Conservación y el Desarrollo Colombia – FCDS (Colombia) 
• Fundación EcoCiencia (Ecuador)
• SOS Amazônia (Acre)
• Ecoporé (Rondônia)
• Fepipa (Pará)
• ObservaMT (Mato Grosso)
• Observatório da 163 – Idesam (Amazonas)