Amazon Rainforest Products

Brazil NutsThere are many different products from the Amazon rainforest.

Following are some important products and a brief explanation about them.

  • Natural rubber (or latex): used to make many rubber products from electronic components to condoms. Rubber was responsible for the first economic cycle of development in the Amazon rainforest. Natural rubber is extracted from tall trees called “Seringueiras” and still today is a major activity for many families.
  • Brazil-nut: the nut is actually a seed. The Brazil-nut is one of the biggest nuts of the world and is exported all over the planet. Local populations use this nutritious seed to make all sort of food and condiments. Learn about how do brazil nuts grow.
  • Guarana: is a small berry-like fruit that is very sweet and juicy. You can taste it in natural refreshments anywhere in Brazil , they are also used to make sodas. Brazilians are very fond of their guarana sodas and it’s something they usually miss when living outside Brazil . Because of that you can find it in any city that has a Brazilian community like Miami , New York or Paris. People use Guarana to stay awake and active in parties and raves, since guarana has an effect similar to caffeine without the problems related to it. Nowadays some companies sell Guarana as a weigh loss substance, although its value for weight loss has not been proven.
  • Açai: another fruit that has a strong taste and purple color is very nutritious and brings energy after consumption. It is used by athletes of all kinds. It hit the Brazilian market outside the Amazon region only in the nineties when professional fighters and gym-addicts start to eat Acai whenever they could. Nowadays you can find juices and ice creams of Açai anywhere in Brazil and is steadily going out to the world market.
  • Many minerals like iron, manganese, uranium, bauxite, copper, gypsum, lignite, nickel and gold can be found in the Amazon rainforest region. Most of the bauxite used in the world comes from here and bauxite is the primary component of aluminum. Chances are that your aluminum soda can came from the Amazon rainforest. 
  • Diamonds and other less valuable gems are mined in the Amazon rainforest. These gems are obtained by river mining, most of it still using manual techniques. The gems are responsible for the great migration of people in the sixties to the Amazon rainforest searching for diamonds and gold.
  • Craftwork: if you imagine hundreds of indigenous tribes you can also imagine how much craftwork like baskets, tapestry, sculptures, musical instruments, body ornaments, primitive weaponry, furniture and rituals related objects you can find in the Amazon rainforest. The variety is so great due to the number of different indigenous cultures. Some professional interior designers use a lot of primitive art for decoration because it’s original and there are very beautiful works.
  • Wood: there are hundreds of different woods in the Amazon Rain Forest , each one best used for a different purpose like furniture, construction, wood sculptures or canoes. Unfortunately a large part of this production is from illegal extraction and it hurts the forest and the local fauna. Legal extractors always have a sustainability certificate like the one provided by FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and guarantee that the wood was cut respecting environmental standards. 
  • Medicinal plants: there are many medicinal plants in the Amazon rainforest. Researching those plants will produce a wide range of new medicine for many kinds of disease. Substances that may cure diseases like cancer, AIDS and Alzheimer are potentially hidden inside plants in the Amazon rainforest.

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