New Economic Model Might Protect the Amazon and Strengthen Neighborhoods

With native support and ecological practices, the new economic model aims to improve the livelihood of local communities while safeguarding the Amazon rainforest.

Conservationists from Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, the US, and the UK have developed a new economic strategy to safeguard the Amazon rainforest while also improving the lives of its native people and rural communities. In order to move away from production that harms the environment and toward a sustainable approach that prioritizes local community diversity and the preservation of standing forests, according to the research published in Nature Ecology and Evolution.

Current economic models, which have focused extensive deforestation in the Amazon, have failed to improve the lives of local residents, impacting income, education, and health. Professor Rachael Garrett from the University of Cambridge highlights the need for systemic change. "Half a century of deforestation has not resulted in widespread development," Garrett said.

The proposed model, termed socio-bioeconomies (SBEs), highlights sustainable practices and supports local communities. SBEs advocate for forwarding government subsidies from large-scale agribusinesses to smaller, sustainable enterprises, and adding sustainable practices into public procurement programs.

Garrett cites the French footwear brand Veja as a successful example, which sources responsibly harvested rubber from Amazonian farmers. The SBE model proposes similar initiatives to promote environmental conservation and economic growth. However, the researchers stress that political will is essential for the widespread adoption of these new economic models.

By incoporating sustainable practices and local communities, the SBE model aims to protect the Amazon and its people from further environmental degradation and promote long-term, improved development.