Collaboration and communication for sustainability-based value : a multi-level analysis of multi-stakeholder networks in the Amazon forest

The Amazon forest plays a central role in climate regulation, biodiversity preservation, and the livelihoods of millions of people, particularly traditional and local communities. At the same time, growing extractive pressures, global market demands, and persistent social inequalities make sustainability in the region a deeply contested challenge, often characterized as a wicked problem with no single or definitive solution. In this context, multi-stakeholder networks involving communities, NGOs, companies, and public institutions have emerged as promising mechanisms to foster sustainability-based value. However, existing evidence remains fragmented regarding how such value is created, undermined, and effectively communicated across interconnected actors and markets, limiting both theoretical integration and practical guidance. Against this backdrop, this dissertation examines sustainability-based value in the Amazon across three ecosystem analytical levels, focusing on processes of co-creation, co-destruction, and consumer adoption. Using a multi-method research design that combines qualitative inquiry, mixed methods, and survey-based experiments, the study analyzes how collaboration dynamics, expectation misalignments, and communication strategies shape sustainability outcomes. The findings offer theoretical contributions and practical insights for building more inclusive and durable sustainability pathways in the Amazon.