To safeguard the Amazon and enhance the wellbeing of its inhabitants, a shift is needed in its economy from methods that harm the environment to a model rooted in the variety of indigenous and rural communities as well as the preservation of forests.
Despite the significant devastation of the Amazon under the guise of economic progress, communities in the region have experienced minimal gains in income, life expectancy, and educational opportunities. Researchers have introduced a novel model along with policy modifications that could pave the way for equitable and sustainable futures for both the Amazon and its residents by enhancing infrastructure, supply networks, and social organizations.
Although their findings, published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, specifically address the Amazon, the researchers believe that similar economic frameworks could be adopted globally, contingent upon political support.
The Amazon basin houses the largest tropical rainforest on the planet, accounting for over half of the Earth’s remaining rainforests and storing significant amounts of carbon. Unfortunately, decades of large-scale deforestation, heightened risks of wildfires, and increased flooding due to climate change have placed much of the Amazon rainforest in jeopardy. Beyond the implications of the Amazon’s loss on global carbon emissions, it also provides a home for countless indigenous peoples and thousands of species of flora and fauna.
“We require a fresh perspective on the Amazon to safeguard it,” expressed lead author Professor Rachael Garrett from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Geography and the Conservation Research Institute. “Half a century’s worth of deforestation and exploitation has not led to widespread advancement, and the market value of deforested regions is now at risk, alongside threats to global climate stability and water security.”
Collaborating with colleagues from the Amazonian region, Garrett has advocated for leveraging the strengths of indigenous and traditional communities to create new economic models, which could conserve substantial portions of the Amazon while simultaneously improving the livelihoods, health, and food security of its inhabitants. These approaches are referred to as socio-bioeconomies, or SBEs.
“Traditional economic strategies may yield immediate benefits, yet over the long haul, the residents and resources of the Amazon basin have been exploited by influential entities, while sustainable infrastructure, education, and innovation have faced insufficient investment,” Garrett noted. “The standard economic approach is simply not viable.”
The SBE model prioritizes the sustainable use and restoration of Amazonian and other ecosystems while supporting indigenous and rural populations. An SBE economy might include eco-conscious tourism or the sustainable harvesting and processing of plant materials into valuable foods, beverages, apparel, and medicines.
“A limited set of interests dominate the development agenda globally,” Garrett pointed out. “The only way to change this scenario is by enhancing the rights and representation of individuals who are not profiting from these systems and who are suffering from ongoing environmental harm. We believe it’s conceivable to create mutually beneficial outcomes for humanity and conservation, but only if we cease consuming products that severely harm the environment. SBEs can facilitate the transition of these win-win outcomes into policy and practice.”
Garrett highlighted the footwear brand Veja as an illustration of such a successful model. The French company sources its sneaker rubber from small-scale Amazonian rubber farmers, ensuring they purchase 100% responsibly harvested native rubber in Brazil. Their sustainability initiatives focus on empowering communities of small-scale farmers while being financially viable without relying on conventional advertising.
Garrett and her team are urging for significant increases in social mobilization, technological advancement, and infrastructure to bolster SBEs. Under the SBE framework, government subsidies would be redirected away from agribusiness towards smaller-scale sustainable development initiatives. The researchers also describe ways to forge links between rural and urban policies within SBEs, such as instituting public procurement programs that procure healthy, sustainably produced food directly from indigenous and small farming communities for use in school lunch and hospital services, instead of bolstering large-scale agribusiness involved in harmful practices.
Other policy reforms that could bolster an SBE framework involve directing funds towards conservation and restoration initiatives, backing community enterprises, and ensuring participatory processes that guarantee inclusive, long-term advantages.
“It’s feasible to create a robust economy that serves everyone when we are bold enough to pursue new models and visions that recognize the interconnectedness of people and nature,” emphasized Garrett. “By promoting these concepts, investing in individuals and enterprises driving change, and supporting research into SBE innovations, we can initiate a shift in both conservation efforts and development in the Amazon.”
“The SBE model could not only protect the Amazon and its residents but also avert climate and biodiversity crises, provided there is sufficient political will to actualize it.”
Rachael Garrett is the future director of the University of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute and a Fellow of Homerton College, Cambridge. She is a council member of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative and serves on the UN Science Panel for the Amazon.
