The chosen landscape is Vale do Rio Acre, a landscape that in the 1970s brought about clashes between large outside farming and ranching interests and local ‘seringueiros’ (rubber tree tappers), who strived to stop the conversion of forests by pastures. As a result of this movement, the first of what are called Extractive Reserves were established.  Since the implementation of extractive reserves, over 100 million hectares of forests in Brazil are under some kind of community ownership and/or management arrangement.

Livelihoods and Landscapes will focus activities on and in extractive reserves through an integrated approach that includes actions targeted at strengthening community-based forest co-operatives and therefore support 1,500 families in the forest product production process, supporting social governance arrangements, promoting political reforms and market growth for community products.

Poverty reduction work will focus on the structuring of 3 community forest product chains, those of timber, Brazil nut and natural rubber. This work will take place not only with communities but in collaboration with and in support of the activities of the forest service through community agents.  Activities will be integrated and include knowledge generation and lesson sharing, trainings and technical support for both for forest production and for processing.  Finally, Livelihoods and Landscapes will support the establishment of Brazil Nut phyto-sanitation quality standards, economic and environmental feasibility studies on the various timber productive systems and the establishment of a commercial strategy for natural rubber.