IBRAF and Basa initiate groundbreaking study on Amazon-Africa opportunities

The Brazil Africa Institute (IBRAF), in partnership with Banco da Amazônia (Basa), is leading a groundbreaking study to identify the potential for products and services from Brazil’s Amazon region to enter African markets. The findings will be officially presented at the Brazil Africa Forum 2025, taking place on November 4–5 in São Paulo.

This initiative aims to deepen Brazil-Africa relations through the production of data, analysis, and strategic recommendations that can guide public policy, business decisions, and institutional action.

João Bosco Monte, President of IBRAF, emphasizes that the research reinforces one of the institute’s core missions. “This study reflects IBRAF’s commitment to producing strategic knowledge. Generating data, mapping opportunities, and sharing high-quality information is essential to strengthening ties between Brazil and Africa and supporting decision-making across sectors,” he affirms.

The collaboration with Basa represents a joint effort to drive sustainable development in the Amazon by aligning the region’s economic strengths with expanding markets across Africa. As a key development bank, Basa broadens its role by contributing to initiatives that boost Amazon’s international integration.

The research covers all nine states that make up Brazil’s Legal Amazon: Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima, and Tocantins—ensuring a broad and representative approach to the region’s economic and productive diversity.

With a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) exceeding BRL 830 billion, the Amazon region is home to a wide range of industries with strong potential for internationalization. Its current exports include soy, corn, beef, native fish such as pirarucu, Brazil nuts, açaí, cocoa, and coffee. Also noteworthy are essential oils, natural resins, certified timber, and minerals like iron, copper, and bauxite. Many of these products are deeply connected to the region’s unique biodiversity and increasingly valued in markets that prioritize sustainability. The ecological similarities between the Amazon and African biomes further enhance the potential for productive partnerships.

Misael Moreno, Executive Manager of Business Strategy at Banco da Amazônia, states: “This partnership between Banco da Amazônia and IBRAF will help identify new opportunities for sustainable economic development in the Amazon, especially by highlighting the region’s unique biodiversity. By promoting Amazonian products, we aim not only to strengthen the local economy across various sectors and sizes but also to drive social inclusion and directly benefit small producers and local communities. Ultimately, we seek to build commercial bridges and expand access to international markets, contributing to the region’s prosperity and sustainability.”

Since its founding in 2013, IBRAF has structured its work on three main pillars: research, capacity building, and event promotion. Through this integrated approach, the institute plays a strategic role in promoting sustainable development, fostering knowledge exchange, and strengthening Brazil-Africa cooperation—paving the way for long-lasting, impactful partnerships across the Atlantic.