When the Forest Becomes the Solution

In a collaboration between Aktion Amazonas, ACCA and the University of Copenhagen - with support from the Globus Fund - Danish students have travelled to the Amazon and are connecting global value chains with local livelihoods. Their experiences are translated into insights on consumption, deforestation and responsibility - and into concrete action.

Brazil nuts are manually turned with feet to ensure even drying before sale. Income from Brazil nuts creates a stable economy that also acts as a safeguard against extractive industries in the Amazon. Photo: Ditlev Damhus/Aktion Amazonas

By Toke F. Nyborg

The air is heavy. Humidity is above 90%. The temperature hovers around 26 degrees. In the Peruvian Amazon, a group of students from the University of Copenhagen stand alongside local producers, young leaders, and partners from Conservación Amazónica - ACCA and Aktion Amazonas.

They have gathered around something as tangible as cacao. But the conversation goes far beyond crops. It is about forests, livelihoods – and global responsibility.

Throughout the day, experiences are shared, questions are raised, and perspectives are challenged. The students meet people who every day balance the need to generate income with the responsibility of protecting the forest they depend on:

“The field trip to Peru showed how directly our overconsumption is linked to deforestation in the Amazon. The rising global gold price has intensified mining – and significantly increased deforestation,” says Emma Hansen, one of the 15 students who visited Peru with Aktion Amazonas.

Her fellow student, Rose Cathrine Due, adds:

“I’ve learned that our consumption in Denmark is directly connected to what is produced in the Amazon - and that by choosing responsibly produced goods, we can help reduce the pressure on the rainforest.”

This realization forms the foundation of the project Academists for the Amazon, developed by Aktion Amazonas with support from the Globus Fund in collaboration with Conservación Amazónica – ACCA and the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management at the University of Copenhagen.

The project is built around a central question: how is Danish consumption connected to deforestation in the Amazon - and how can that awareness be translated into action?

Photo 1 & 2: Ditlev Damhus/Aktion Amazonas. Photo 3: Nazaret Fernandez/Aktion Amazonas

The forest as a solution in a global system

A key element of the project is to highlight concrete alternatives to deforestation - while placing them within a global context.

Cacao - when grown in agroforestry systems - and wild-harvested Brazil nuts depend on intact forest ecosystems and provide income without clearing land. This makes them powerful alternatives to deforestation, creating economic incentives to conserve forests and directly linking conservation with livelihoods.

For the students, the connection between Denmark and the Amazon suddenly becomes tangible.

“I’ve learned that we in Denmark need to recognise the connection between our consumption and what is produced in the Amazon. Many products on the European market are linked to value chains that can drive deforestation. By choosing and paying for responsibly produced goods, we can help reduce the pressure on the rainforest,” explains Emma Hansen.

Meanwhile, Rose highlights the importance of understanding the real-life impacts:

“It has been valuable to talk to people in areas affected by deforestation and to see how it impacts their communities – both culturally, environmentally and economically.”

The students visit the village of Infierno in the rainforest of Peru, where they learn about forest-based economies as an alternative to unsustainable activities. Photo: Nazaret Fernandez/Aktion Amazonas

From awareness to action

The project also aims at providing a solid foundation for transforming students into “acadevists” - young people who translate knowledge into action through communication, engagement and behavioural change.

At its core, the project is about connections: between students and local communities, between knowledge and action - and between Denmark and the Amazon.

“I take with me that we in Denmark need to be more aware of how dangerous it can be to protect the rainforest. Those who fight for the environment face serious threats – in contrast to the safety we experience here. That safety is a privilege that obliges us to raise awareness,” says Emma.

Ditte Tange Rasmussen, who also participated in the fieldwork, concludes:

“It has been a great learning experience to see how the work of NGOs in the Amazon makes a real difference.”

Photo 1: ACCA. Photo 2&3: Ditlev Damhus/Aktion Amazonas