The current oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) boom is arguably one of the most rapid agro-environmental transformations in the Brazilian Amazon.  Little is known about how oil palm plantations impact traditional livelihoods in forest territories.  This talk analyzes geo-historical context and changes in livelihoods of differentiated social groups; explores the impact of  recent expansion of oil palm (2010 onwards) in the state of Pará, Brazil, and outlines some of the challenges forest communities face when trying to claim their rights to defend nature and their livelihoods. This research speaks to the importance of using an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the impacts of agro-extractivist activities, and the production and transformation of particular nature-social configurations in the Amazon.