This is an assessment of the impact of Brazil nut cultivation on the labour market and poverty in a region of Bolivia with few other economic alternatives. The study focuses on the terms and conditions involved in jobs created for collectors and processors during the short harvesting season. The impact of Brazil nut cultivation on the rest of the regional economy is highlighted, as well as the dis-enabling environment created by government, with poor economic services (particularly electricity), low education standards, a vague institutional framework around land ownership and a failure to form alliances with the private sector.