
Management of Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) Resources in the Rio Iratapuru Sustainable Development Reserve (RDS)
In the mid-2000s, the Rio Iratapuru Sustainable Development Reserve (RDS), a protected area combining Amazon forest conservation and sustainable use by traditional communities, hosted the first recognized bioprospecting initiative in Amapá. The São Francisco do Iratapuru community, represented by the COMARU cooperative, signed Brazil’s first Benefit-Sharing Agreement (ABS) with Natura and the State Government (via SEMA/AP), involving the use of breu-branco (Protium pallidum), which led to the launch of the “Perfume do Breu” in 2004. A fund was then created to manage the benefit-sharing resources, initially administered by Natura. The community accessed these funds through projects, but with limited autonomy. With Federal Law 13.123/2015, management shifted in 2018 to COMARU itself, supported by a participatory Steering Committee. Funded projects have since included community infrastructure improvements, strengthening of value chains, and local training, fostering transparency, social protagonism, and positive impacts in RDS.