Amazonia: the battle for its riches

Rare earths, niobium, livestock, agriculture… Beyond economic interests, what future lies ahead for the forest and the people who live in it?

A forest whose riches are coveted

The Amazon is much more than a vast expanse of vegetation. It is a living, inhabited territory where the forest, rivers, animals, and communities have maintained close relationships for generations.

But today, this territory is at the center of considerable economic interests.

Its riches attract attention far beyond Brazil's borders. Underground, strategic mineral resources are drawing the interest of major powers. On the surface, the land is coveted for livestock, industrial agriculture, and the infrastructure required for these activities.

The Amazon thus finds itself at the heart of a question that extends far beyond Brazil: how far can we go to exploit its riches?

Rare earths and niobium: Brazil, a global giant

Brazil holds an exceptional position in the world thanks to its mineral resources. Two of them attract particular attention: niobium and rare earths.

Niobium: Brazil, the world's leading producer

In 2025, Brazil accounted for approximately 93% of global niobium production, or nearly 104,000 tons out of an estimated global total of 112,000 tons.

No other country comes close to this level of production today. Canada ranks far behind, with just over 5%.

This metal is primarily used to strengthen certain steels, particularly in construction, the automotive industry, infrastructure, and high-tech equipment.

Brazil's dominant position in this production gives it strategic importance on the international market.

Rare earths: Brazil holds the world's second-largest reserves

The situation with rare earths is equally remarkable.

With estimated reserves of around 21 million tons, or nearly 23% of known global reserves, Brazil ranks second in the world, just behind China.

China ranks first with around 44 million tons, or nearly half of global reserves.

This geological wealth thus places Brazil among the most important countries for the future of these strategic resources.

Rare earths are used in the manufacture of electric motors, wind turbines, electronic devices, communication systems, and defense equipment.

However, possessing large reserves does not necessarily mean exploiting them.

In 2025, China accounted for approximately 69% of global rare earth production, compared to just 0.5% for Brazil.

This contrast highlights the scale of Brazil's potential, but also the industrial and economic choices that still need to be made.

It should also be noted that these resources are not all located in the Amazon. Several major deposits are found in the states of Goiás and Minas Gerais, while other areas are under exploration in the Amazon region.

Brazil therefore possesses a mineral heritage of global importance, but how it chooses to make the most of it remains an essential question.

The United States is particularly interested in these resources, especially to reduce its dependence on China, which dominates much of the global rare earth processing chain.

In 2026, the issue of strategic minerals became a major part of relations between Washington and Brasília.

But international economic interests are not limited to what lies beneath the ground.

When the forest is destroyed to produce more

The Amazon is also coveted for its land.

Cattle ranching has historically been one of the main drivers of Amazon deforestation. Vast areas of forest have been cleared to make way for pastures.

Agricultural expansion is also exerting increasing pressure. Soy, corn, and other crops supply national and international markets, particularly in the animal feed and biofuel sectors.

Soy is notably used to make biodiesel, while corn can be used to produce ethanol.

To develop these activities, roads are opened, trees are cut down, and new areas are cleared.

But it is important to call things what they are.

When a forest is razed to make way for pastures or industrial crops, it is not simply transformed. It is destroyed.

It is not only landscapes that disappear. Natural habitats, plant and animal species, and ecological balances built over time also vanish.

And the consequences extend beyond the areas directly deforested: habitat fragmentation, disruption of waterways, soil degradation, and increased pressure on neighboring territories.

According to MapBiomas, between 1985 and 2025, the Amazon biome lost 54.7 million hectares of native vegetation. Livestock and agriculture now account for a large share of the cleared land.

Behind the promises of growth and economic benefits, there is therefore a considerable environmental cost.

The Amazon at the heart of electoral issues

The Brazilian presidential elections in October 2026 took place amid intense political polarization.

On one side, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, representing the left. On the other, Flávio Bolsonaro, representing the conservative right.

Two opposing political currents, but in the midst of this confrontation, one major issue: the future of Brazil's natural resources, especially the Amazon.

Even when the forest was not directly at the center of electoral debates, decisions regarding mineral extraction, agricultural land, and environmental regulations were clearly behind the policies being advocated.

During his campaign, Flávio Bolsonaro supported easing environmental restrictions and forming strategic partnerships with the United States regarding rare earths and critical minerals.

For his part, Lula emphasized environmental protection and Brazil's sovereignty over its resources.

American interest in Brazilian minerals also gave these issues an international dimension, amid economic competition with China.

But regardless of political orientation, one question remains: should the Amazon be considered primarily as a territory to be exploited for its resources, or as a living space whose protection should guide economic decisions?

And what about the Indigenous peoples in all this?

Amidst these economic and political interests, there is a reality that is too often forgotten: the coveted territories are also places where people live.

Indigenous peoples have inhabited the Amazon since long before the formation of modern Brazil.

Their relationship with the forest is not limited to the resources it can provide. The territory is also a place of memory, cultural transmission, knowledge, and collective life.

Agricultural expansion, illegal logging, and certain mining activities can directly threaten their lands.

In the Tapajós region, the Munduruku people have denounced the consequences of illegal gold mining for years, particularly the destruction of forested areas and the contamination of waterways with mercury.

In September 2026, Munduruku organizations published new reports documenting the continuation of these illegal activities on their territories.

Yet these peoples are not merely spectators. They organize their own territorial monitoring, denounce invasions, and demand their right to participate in decisions that affect their future.

The Brazilian Constitution recognizes their original rights to the lands they traditionally occupy.

But their effective protection remains a constant struggle.

For protecting the forest without protecting the rights of the peoples who live in it would mean ignoring an essential part of the Amazon.

A wealth that is not found solely underground

The debate over the Amazon should not be limited to the amount of minerals that can be extracted or the number of hectares that can be dedicated to production.

The forest already has considerable value.

It helps regulate the climate, water cycles, and the maintenance of remarkable biodiversity.

It also enables economic activities that do not require its destruction: harvesting forest products, using seeds and plant fibers, handicrafts, and other initiatives related to the local bioeconomy.

These activities do not represent a single solution to all the region's economic challenges. But they show that there are other ways to create value.

The real question, therefore, is not to choose between a protected Amazon and an Amazon capable of generating income.

It is to know how to develop economic activities without sacrificing what makes this territory's wealth irreplaceable.

Why this question matters to me

As an Amazonian woman, originally from Alter do Chão, a Borari territory in the state of Pará, I am particularly sensitive to these issues.

I am not opposed to economic development. But I advocate for an approach that respects the forest as a whole, the people who live in it, and their rights to their territories.

Through Amazonikaa, I seek to promote traditional craftsmanship and support fairer trade that respects the work of artisans.

It is a modest contribution, but it reflects my convictions.

I refuse to see the Amazon considered solely as a reserve of land to be cleared or minerals to be exploited.

Because beyond economic interests, international ambitions, and political confrontations, one conviction remains:

The forest is worth far more than the money its destruction could bring.

Amazonikaa