Too Big to Fail: Transforming the Amazon’s Economy from Deforestation-Driven to Inclusive and Green

The report argues that the Amazon is approaching a systemic tipping point of ecological and economic collapse due to a 'deforestation economy' that benefits a small elite. It proposes a shift toward an inclusive green economy based on standing forests, utilizing a 'bioeconomy' model that supports micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and indigenous knowledge. To facilitate this, the Fundação Amazonas Sustentável (FAS) and the Green Economy Coalition (GEC) have launched the Amazon Green Economy Hub in Manaus to coordinate policy reform, investment, and sustainable value chains.

• The Amazon is nearing a systemic tipping point where deforestation, climate change, and fire could lead to ecological collapse. Scientists suggest that if deforestation reaches 20-25%, the system could collapse, potentially costing over US$3 trillion in lost food, water, and hydropower supplies.
• The current 'deforestation economy' is characterized by the extraction of a few commodities like beef, soy, and timber for the benefit of a small elite, while externalizing environmental and social costs.
• Transitioning to a zero-deforestation model is economically viable; macro-economic modelling indicates that such a policy would result in a national GDP drop of only 0.62% in Brazil up to 2030.
• The Amazon has transitioned from being a net carbon store to a net source of carbon emissions, particularly in the south-east, and now absorbs one-third less carbon than it did a decade ago.
• Sustainable bioeconomy value chains for products like açaí, Brazil nuts, and pirarucu fish demonstrate that standing forests can generate significant income. The açaí industry alone is valued at US$1.5 billion per year.
• Indigenous territories and protected areas are significantly more effective at preventing forest loss; about 50% of Amazon forests have protected status but suffered only 11% of total losses.
• The Amazon Green Economy Hub, based in Manaus, is designed as a cross-sectoral platform to drive policy reform, provide a business incubator for MSMEs, and facilitate dialogue between government, academia, and civil society.
• Social inequality and political instability in the region are severe, with over 45% of the population in the Brazilian Amazon living below the World Bank poverty line and a rise in the assassination of indigenous leaders.

APA

Bass, S., Viana, V., Salviati, V., Sampaio, G., Greenfield, O., Benson, E., & Worsley, S. (2020). Too Big to Fail: Transforming the Amazon’s Economy from Deforestation-Driven to Inclusive and Green. Green Economy Coalition. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/Amazon-Too-big-to-fail-Strategy-for-consultation.pdf

Chicago

Bass, Steve, Virgilio Viana, Victor Salviati, Gabriela Sampaio, Oliver Greenfield, Emily Benson, and Stuart Worsley. Too Big to Fail: Transforming the Amazon’s Economy from Deforestation-Driven to Inclusive and Green. Green Economy Coalition, 2020. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/Amazon-Too-big-to-fail-Strategy-for-consultation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bass |first1=Steve |last2=Viana |first2=Virgilio |last3=Salviati |first3=Victor |last4=Sampaio |first4=Gabriela |last5=Greenfield |first5=Oliver |last6=Benson |first6=Emily |last7=Worsley |first7=Stuart |title=Too Big to Fail: Transforming the Amazon’s Economy from Deforestation-Driven to Inclusive and Green |publisher=Green Economy Coalition |date=September 2020 |url=https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/Amazon-Too-big-to-fail-Strategy-for-consultation.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bass2020too, author = {Bass, Steve and Viana, Virgilio and Salviati, Victor and Sampaio, Gabriela and Greenfield, Oliver and Benson, Emily and Worsley, Stuart}, title = {{Too Big to Fail: Transforming the Amazon’s Economy from Deforestation-Driven to Inclusive and Green}}, institution = {Green Economy Coalition}, year = {2020}, month = sep, url = {https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/Amazon-Too-big-to-fail-Strategy-for-consultation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }