Presentation short abstract

Bioeconomy in the Amazon is a contested narrative, being used by some actors to justify business-as-usual forest product expansion while others use it to support local sociobiodiversity economies. The paper will focus on tensions between market-oriented and justice-oriented goals.

Presentation long abstract

The Amazon is a stage for multiple imaginaries and interests, where conservation narratives are continually reshaped by diverse actors. Recently, bioeconomy has emerged as a paradigm aiming to reconcile development, conservation, and environmental justice in the region. First proposed for the Amazon by climate-change researchers, this perspective underscores the importance of local producers in biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation. Bioeconomy has since spread rapidly; at COP30 in Belém, hundreds of events centered on the topic.

Yet the narrative has become highly contested. Corporations, state agencies, and some IENGOs have adopted bioeconomy as a business-as-usual framework to justify initiatives such as compensation schemes, certification programs, and the expansion of forest-based product markets. In contrast, local NGOs and grassroots organizations use the concept to strengthen sociobiodiversity economies grounded in sustainable production and nature-based relations.

In this paper, I will analyze the multiple meanings and framings of the bioeconomy narrative to identify tensions and potential points of connection. The discussion will focus on the contrasting conceptualization of bioeconomy, mobilized both as a form of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and as nature-inspired justice, and will examine the challenges that limit its transformative potential.