Forest timber bioeconomy of the AWA people: potential, scenarios, policies and instruments for sustainable development in the Global South
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55892/jrg.v9i20.3524Keywords:
X forest bioeconomy, Awa territory, sustainable forest management, Global South, timber value chainAbstract
The Awa territory (121,000 ha), managed by the Federation of Awa Centers of Ecuador (FCAE), represents the last significant remnant of pre-montane humid forest in northwestern Ecuador and the only national reservoir of chanúl (Humiriastrum procerum, Humiriaceae), a species classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN. This article analyzes the potential of Awa timber forest bioeconomy as a driver of sustainable development, from a perspective integrating forest engineering, political ecology, and Global South economics. The study integrates: (1) dasometric data from forest inventories of 30 commercial species across eight communities; (2) silvicultural possibility scenarios with 35-year cutting cycles; (3) financial viability analysis comparing two value chain models (with and without a processing plant); and (4) a systematic review of global and Ecuadorian bioeconomy policy frameworks, including the National Pact for Sustainable Bioeconomy (2020), the Bioeconomy White Paper (2024), the LEAF-ERPA Emissions Reduction Agreement (2025), and the G20 Bioeconomy Initiative (2024). Results reveal that the 40,062 ha with forest management potential hold a commercial basal area of 5.00–8.53 m²/ha and a harvestable volume of 7.59–19.68 m³/ha. The model with a processing plant requires 5,740 ha under management to achieve a positive NPV (USD 250.58) with a 10% IRR, whereas the model without a plant demands 10,300 ha. A tricephalous bioeconomic framework is proposed integrating Awa territorial governance (Sumak Kawsay), forest carbon environmental services, and FSC-certified timber value chains as complementary and non-exclusive instruments for the socioeconomic development of the nationality. The Awa territory represents an internationally relevant case study for the design of equitable forest bioeconomy policies in the Global South.
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