Every wet season in the Western Amazon, Peru’s castañeros (brazil nut concession holders and harvesters) gather the huge brazil nut fruits from the forest floor.

They crack them open to extract the nuts inside, and carry them out of the forest to market.

It’s physically hard, and there are dangers – from wild animals to falling nuts. But owning a Brazil nut concession is also a responsibility: owners have to defend their forest from incursions by Brazil nut thieves or illegal loggers.

CIFOR’s Brazil nut research in Peru aims to support local livelihoods through improved forest management.

Every Brazil nut you’ve ever eaten was gathered from the Amazon rainforest by a castañero – and they want you to know more about their lives.

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This story is part of a multimedia package on the Amazon rainforest. More at forestsnews.cifor.org/amazon