Adriana Marques da Silva

Brazilian Amazon defender creating sustainable livelihoods through agroecology and forest conservation

Adriana Marques da Silva is an environmental activist from the Amazon state of Pará, Brazil, leading Survival in the Amazon since 2010. Born into a family of rubber tappers, she witnessed first-hand the devastation of illegal logging and mining operations. Her organization combines agroecological training with legal advocacy to protect Indigenous lands and promote sustainable development.

Da Silva pioneered the 'Forest Schools' program, training 3,000+ Amazon residents in permaculture techniques and traditional ecological knowledge. These initiatives have preserved 250,000 hectares of rainforest while creating income through organic cacao and Brazil nut cooperatives. Her legal team has successfully blocked 14 major deforestation projects through strategic litigation, leveraging Brazil's Forest Code and international environmental accords.

A key architect of the 'Amazon SOS' coalition, da Silva coordinated 50+ NGOs to pressure Brazil's government during the 2021 climate summit. Her work inspired the creation of the Jamanxim Sustainable Development Reserve, protecting critical biodiversity corridors. Recognized with the Goldman Environmental Prize (2018) and the UN Equator Prize (2020), she now focuses on scaling community-based reforestation models through partnerships with European NGOs. Her TEDx Talk 'The Forest is Our Future' has become a rallying cry for global climate justice movements. Recent projects include a blockchain-based traceability system ensuring ethical sourcing of Amazon products.