Amazon: “Too big, to fail”: Transforming the Amazon’s Economy from Deforestation-Driven to Inclusive and Green

This research paper by the Green Economy Coalition argues that the Amazon is a critical global life support system facing a systemic tipping point of collapse due to deforestation. It proposes transitioning from a 'deforestation economy' to an 'inclusive bioeconomy' by scaling up people-centred activities that make forests more valuable standing than cut, using the success of the Fundação Amazonas Sustentável (FAS) as a model and proposing the creation of an Amazon Green Economy Hub.

• The Amazon rainforest serves as a vital global life support system, storing 0.65 billion tonnes of carbon annually and providing water that feeds the entire South American continent. However, it is approaching a systemic tipping point of economic and environmental collapse as deforestation rates near 20%, causing the forest to become a net source of carbon rather than a store.
• The Fundação Amazonas Sustentável (FAS) demonstrates that sustainable forest management can be economically viable and environmentally effective. In its programme areas, deforestation has decreased by 76% since 2008, and community income has risen by 202% through sustainable enterprises such as fisheries, tourism, and handicrafts.
• The document proposes a transition from a 'deforestation economy'—characterized by illegal deforestation, extractive models, and leadership by small elites—to an 'inclusive green economy'. This new model emphasizes circular models, natural capital accounting, and participatory decision-making, with research suggesting this shift can occur with little to no reduction in economic growth.
• To achieve this transition, the Green Economy Coalition proposes the 'Amazon Green Economy Hub'. This hub would consist of a cross-sectoral platform for dialogue, a research focal point, communications and empowerment support, and a business incubator to scale micro-, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the bioeconomy.

APA

Green Economy Coalition (n.d.). Amazon: “Too big, to fail”: Transforming the Amazon’s Economy from Deforestation-Driven to Inclusive and Green. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/Amazon_-Too-Big-to-Fail-Discussion-paper.pdf

Chicago

Green Economy Coalition. Amazon: “Too big, to fail”: Transforming the Amazon’s Economy from Deforestation-Driven to Inclusive and Green. n.d. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/Amazon_-Too-Big-to-Fail-Discussion-paper.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Economy Coalition |title=Amazon: “Too big, to fail”: Transforming the Amazon’s Economy from Deforestation-Driven to Inclusive and Green |url=https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/Amazon_-Too-Big-to-Fail-Discussion-paper.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greeneconomycoalitionndamazon, author = {{Green Economy Coalition}}, title = {{Amazon: “Too big, to fail”: Transforming the Amazon’s Economy from Deforestation-Driven to Inclusive and Green}}, institution = {Green Economy Coalition}, url = {https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/Amazon_-Too-Big-to-Fail-Discussion-paper.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }