Unlocking the Amazon bioeconomy: infrastructure as the catalyst for sustainable growth

As we look to the future of the Amazon region, one truth stands out: the path to sustainable development depends on its bioeconomy. The Amazon’s bioeconomy—rooted in the responsible use of its biodiversity—offers an opportunity to create jobs, boost local income, and preserve the standing forest. Yet, despite its promise, the bioeconomy remains constrained by a fundamental challenge: infrastructure gaps. 

What is the bioeconomy—and why does it matter?

The bioeconomy harnesses biological resources, traditional knowledge, and innovation to create sustainable products. In the Amazon, this means leveraging the region’s acai, Brazil nuts, pirarucu fish, and cocoa for food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and other value-added goods. Communities in the Amazon play a central role in protecting the forest, and expanding job opportunities through the bioeconomy is essential for both sustaining their livelihoods and ensuring the forest remains standing, while strengthening the traditions and rights of Indigenous and local peoples. Done right, the bioeconomy can drive prosperity while preserving the rainforest’s ecological integrity, with current productivity estimates suggesting that approximately 42,000 new jobs may be generated by 2050. 

Infrastructure: The missing link

At every stage—from harvest to market—infrastructure constrains the Amazon’s bioeconomy in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. 

Moving bioeconomy products from remote forests to markets depends on small boats navigating unpredictable rivers and makeshift docks that often fail during droughts. For perishable goods, even brief delays can result in significant losses. Spanning over 380,000km, the river network provides a natural connection, and communities are naturally clustered near rivers. Yet, the 730 ports and docks offer limited and often precarious access, with one port/dock available per 43,000 people.  

Unreliable electricity and limited cold storage restrict processing and value addition. Many communities rely on costly diesel generators, leading to frequent outages that spoil up to half of pirarucu catches and 40% of açaí production. Electricity outages are common, occurring 310 days per year in Caquetá (Colombia) and 114 days per year in Madre de Dios (Peru). Processing facilities are scarce in rural and deep forest areas across the Amazon, pushing most value-adding activities—and jobs—toward distant urban centers. 

Limited digital connectivity compounds the challenges, preventing producers from coordinating logistics, ensuring traceability, or accessing markets online. High-quality connectivity reaches only about 20% of the population, and many high-production areas remain digitally isolated. 

A strategic roadmap: Place-based and integrated solutions

The World Bank in Latin America and the Caribbean’s upcoming report, “A Place-Based Infrastructure Approach for Bioeconomies in the Amazon Region,” reveals how integrated, place-based solutions that strengthen river transport, renewable energy, and digital connectivity are key to unlocking sustainable growth, improving livelihoods, and preserving the Amazon’s forest wealth. 

Infrastructure strategies tailored to Amazon’s diverse infrastructure availability and environmental sensitivities can foster sustainable development while supporting forest preservation.

_{Note: The Urban Amazon (purple), Rural Amazon (gold), and Deep Forest Amazon (green) are defined here based on levels of transport, energy, and digital connectivity; access to services; and environmental characteristics.}

• In the Urban Amazon, where cities and their peripheries are highly developed, upgrading the quality, resilience, and integration of infrastructure and services is crucial.
• In the Rural Amazon, bioeconomies and communities are spread along major rivers and highways; here, the focus is on balancing ecological sensitivity with connectivity, transforming urban centers and riverine towns into strategic development hubs that anchor economic activity and extend opportunities to less connected areas. 
• For the Deep Forest Amazon, which is isolated and densely forested, innovative, low-impact solutions—such as drone transportation, decentralized power systems, and satellite connectivity—are needed to reach remote communities sustainably. 

Integration is key: bundling transport, energy, and digital infrastructure creates synergies, improves cost-efficiency, and maximizes impact. For instance, upgrading river ports should go hand in hand with investments in reliable electricity, cold storage, and digital connectivity. To ensure long-term sustainability, innovative financing mechanisms—like green bonds, biodiversity compensation, and blended finance—are vital for attracting private investment and supporting ongoing development. 

The path forward

The Amazon’s bioeconomy holds promise for creating jobs, improving livelihoods, and protecting forests. Realizing the bioeconomy’s promise will require coordinated action from governments, the private sector, civil society, and international partners, guided by data-driven, integrated infrastructure investments. This is not about building infrastructure; it is about building a resilient, equitable, and sustainable future for the Amazon and its people. 

Note: This analysis was supported by the Spanish Fund for Latin America and the Caribbean Trust Fund.