Other Crops
While some crops like soy, cocoa, and coca dominate discussions of Amazonian agriculture, several others are also cultivated across the region. These crops may not warrant an entire page, but they’re worth mentioning for their economic, cultural, or environmental significance.
Coffee
Coffee is among the most lucrative crops grown in the Amazon, particularly in the western region of Colombia (Killeen, 2023). Two main varieties are cultivated. There is Arabica, which is typically grown in shaded environments under the forest canopy. There is also Robusta, which is more commonly grown and requires full sun exposure (Killeen, 2023). The expansion of robusta coffee, in particular, has raised environmental concerns due to its association with deforestation.
Cassava
Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is one of the most widespread crops in the Amazon and a dietary staple for many Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities, including maroon populations (The Washington Post, 2024). Traditional cassava cultivation is often sustainable, particularly when grown using ancestral agroecological methods. However, commercial cassava operations tend to be far less sustainable, often relying on monocultures and contributing to soil degradation and land-use change.
Bananas
Bananas are widely cultivated across the Amazon and have an unusual reputation due to their association with the Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria nigriventer), a species known for its potent venom. While these spiders do pose a real hazard to field workers, widespread rumors of them hitching rides in banana shipments to supermarkets are unfounded and exaggerated by sensational media reports (Palermo, 2014).
Rice
Rice is commonly grown in parts of the Amazon with poorly drained soils, such as floodplains and seasonally inundated areas. While rice cultivation provides food security, it also contributes to climate change: rice paddies release methane, a greenhouse gas that is more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term (Kurnik & Devine, 2022).
Passion Fruit
Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) is a native vine of the Amazon and continues to be cultivated both for domestic consumption and export. As an Amazonian native, it generally has a minimal ecological impact when grown in traditional or mixed agroforestry systems.
References:
Killeen Timothy J.(2023) A Perfect Storm in the Amazon Wilderness Second Edition
The Washington Post. (2024, May 5). How Ancient Amazonians Transformed a Toxic Crop into a Diet Staple: Indigenous People Devised a Complex Multistep Process of Detoxification.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2024/05/05/indigenous-amazon-cassava-detoxification-crop/
Palermo, Elizabeth. (September 15, 2014) Did 'Deadly' Spider Eggs Really Hitch a Ride on Imported Bananas? It's enough to make you do a double take the next time you unpack your groceries! A recent British news report claimed that imported bananas could play host to a certain species of venomous spiders. NBC News
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna56051673
Kurnik, Julia. Devine, Katherine. (April 12, 2022) Innovation in Reducing Methane Emissions from the Food Sector: Side of rice, hold the methane World Wildlife Fund