Interactive Discussion

From AJ Hart on Policy Advocacy

What actions can be taken by conservation advocates to help to implement these strategies at scale?” In other words, “How can conservation advocates promote structural change that makes these strategies viable at scale?”
(In Reference to Chapters 30 + 31)
In regards to the challenge of implementing strategies to promote conservation objectives in the Amazon – I wanted to take more of a hybrid approach that blends in the role of indigenous peoples with the potential of the Amazonian bioeconomy. From reading both chapters – I came to understand that there is vast potential in both and they will ultimately rely on the success of one another. One of the first and most important components is the strengthening of the territorial land and water rights of indigenous peoples – which will ultimately enable indigenous peoples to have the capacity to manage and conserve these lands they govern. This has been identified as a viable alternative to conservation as local indigenous territorial management has “to be one of the most effective ways to guarantee ecosystems, quality of life, and respect for cultural and territorial rights.” (Chap 31.14) So to identify potential strategies – I present below three strategies that are ultimately interlinked with each chapter: (1) Forest Management; (2) Tourism Development; and (3) Commodities Bioeconomy.

Indigenous Territorial Management of Forests is a critical component to promoting conservation-based initiatives due to the fact that deforestation rates are significantly lower than outside of indigenous territories (Chap 30.16). Forest Management serves as a vital tool as it can yield a variety of significant benefits from focuses on agroforestry, silviculture, and land value increases. Agroforestry and Silviculture management would yield additional benefits such as improved quality and yields – which would produce valuable economic returns for indigenous communities engaged in these practices. In addition, by utilizing indigenous forest management – the value of these forested areas can exponentially increase as they are conserved and recovered. This would ultimately be valuable for the second strategy – tourism development.

Tourism Development, primarily Ecotourism is an effective tool at promoting conservation as it adds value to the environment that would serve as an alternative economic activity. Chapter 30 invokes a situation that must be evaluated in developing a tourism market for indigenous communities that does not “mystify” them. The chapter states, “To this end, it is important to avoid myths such as the “returning to El Dorado” or other fantastical constructions that identify the forest dwellers as “good savages” (Chap 30.35) Instead, we should utilize the highly biodiverse regions of indigenous territories to promote sustainable tourism that is entirely operated by the local community – of which those residing in indigenous territories maximize their potential economic gains while consistently valuing and promoting cultural and environmental conservation.

              The Commodities Bioeconomy is another integral example presented in the chapters that could be shifted to benefit local indigenous communities. One example brought up in the chapter that stuck out and I found extremely high in potential was the promotion of cities as gastronomy centers – with emphasis on the investment of cooking schools. This chapter provided a focus on the acai production market and how valuable it currently is to the Amazonian economy – but also hinted at the under-utilization of edible plants that are indigenous to the Amazon such as the “163 edible fruits native to the Amazon” (Chap 30.24). By adopting an ‘Amazonian cuisine’, indigenous communities could maximize both tourism and the commodities bioeconomy by producing delicacies that they would normally eat on a day-to-day basis for visiting tourists – which could result in a higher appreciation for conservation of this great landscape.