Science Across Generations: A Series of Dialogues
Key insights from Chapters 30 and 31 of the Amazon Assessment Report 2021
What happens when experienced Amazon researchers meet with young scientists and leaders to discuss the region's future? The result is frank, provocative conversations about the dilemmas of development, the limits of progress, and the central role of traditional peoples.
In the third edition of the Science Across Generations webinar, organized by the Science Panel for the Amazon, the Lead Authors of Chapters 30 and 31 of the 2021 Amazon Assessment Report — Ricardo Abramovay and Adriana Ramos — engaged in dialogue with members of the SPA’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC): Maryane Andrade, Pedro Neves de Castro, Gustavo Nascimento, and João Pedro Braga. The conversation offered thoughtful analyses and thought-provoking questions, highlighting that building a sustainable Amazon depends both on historical memory and the creative energy of the new generation.
The weight of history in investments
Opening the discussion, Ricardo Abramovay presented the main points of Chapter 30. He reminded us that today's markets can only be understood in light of the history that shaped them.
Responding to João Pedro Braga's question: "Why does financing insist on extractive models, instead of investing in the bioeconomy, which can yield higher returns?", Abramovay explained that investors still rely on traditional models because they remain grounded in a patrimonial logic rooted in Brazil's slave-owning past. "Markets are social structures, built on what is already in place. This limits the openness to innovative models and hinders new investment flows in the bioeconomy", he said.
He emphasized that this logic is not limited to the Amazon: in many other parts of Brazil, historical heritage also guides financial decisions, perpetuating the concentration of wealth and resistance to more inclusive models. Socio-bioeconomy, while recognized as promising, continues to face institutional barriers, a lack of clear policies, and a global market that still values traditional commodities over sustainable products.
This analysis raised a central point: if we want to accelerate the transition, we will need to combine new financing mechanisms, public policies that encourage innovation, and consumers who push for change.
Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities guardians of the forest
Adriana Ramos presented Chapter 31, which delves into the essential role of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in protecting the forest.
According to her, Brazil is at a historical crossroads: in the past, modernity advanced at the expense of the destruction of the Amazon; in the present, and even more so in the future, protecting the forest is a condition for humanity's survival. "Progress has charged us with the destruction of the forest. The future demands its preservation", she stated.
Adriana highlighted that Indigenous and riverine peoples already conserve hundreds of territories, maintaining standing forests and preserving knowledge that supports not only their culture but also global health.
She noted that many modern medicines are derived from plants whose uses were discovered and maintained by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. However, this knowledge is rarely recognized, and even less so rewarded. To change this situation, she advocated expanding payment policies for environmental services, not as favors or compensation, but as part of a fair economy that values those who care for the forest.
Questions from the new generation
The interventions from the YAC members brought energy to the debate and pointed to new paths.
Gustavo Nascimento asked how to ensure proper management of public forests, often the target of invasions or land grabbing. The answer was unanimous: the key is governance. This involves recognizing territorial rights, giving communities effective responsibility for managing these areas, and valuing different knowledge systems, including Indigenous science. As Adriana summarized: “Without governance, any management plan will be fragile.”
Maryane Andrade questioned how the new generation can contribute to strengthening socio-bioeconomies and creating opportunities for young Amazonians. Abramovay acknowledged that entrepreneurship initiatives exist, but investments still fall far short of potential. He highlighted that young people often have innovative ideas but lack access to credit, mentoring, or structured markets.
Pedro Neves de Castro reflected on how to connect technological innovation and Indigenous and Local Knowledge. According to him, youth can be bridges between universes: using digital tools, e-commerce platforms, and new logistics chains to expand the reach of sustainable Amazon products.
Adriana Ramos added that consumers are also part of this equation. By opting for local markets, supporting Amazonian producers, and rejecting the idea that forest products can only be sold as "gourmet" items, each person helps create a more diverse and resilient economy. "Investment in sociobioeconomy must be normalized. It cannot be seen as an exception, but as part of the real economy", she added.
What do we take away from this dialogue?
The transition to an Amazonian socio-bioeconomy requires multiple fronts:
Confront historical legacies that still shape markets and limit innovation.
Recognize the leading role of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, and value their knowledge.
Ensure effective governance of public forests.
Increase visibility and investment in Amazonian initiatives.
Reposition conscious consumption as a strategic part of change.
Create conditions so that young people can undertake and innovate in their own communities.
The bottom line is that transformation depends on intergenerational dialogue. Young people bring new questions, experienced leaders offer historical context, and from this encounter emerge concrete paths for the bioeconomy to move from a promise to a reality.
What now?
The third edition of the Science Across Generations: A Dialogue Series showed that building a sustainable Amazon is not only a matter of science or politics, but of creating bridges: between past and future, Indigenous and Local Knowledge and technological innovation, urban consumers and Amazonian communities.
The challenge is complex, yet the voices that came together in this dialogue demonstrated that change is possible when different generations share experiences, confront dilemmas, and imagine solutions collectively.
In 2026, the series will continue, this time engaging with the findings of the forthcoming 2025 Amazon Assessment Report. These new conversations will deepen the dialogue on the paths toward a sustainable and just future for the Amazon.
Watch the recorded session:
English: https://youtu.be/hziDWVKe1bQ
Portuguese: https://youtu.be/4BorMjnxO9Q
Spanish: https://youtu.be/YpOnm09WCho
