EPISODE · Jun 2, 2026 · 36 MIN
The New Economy: Making the Amazon Forest Worth More Standing
from Rewildology · host Brooke Mitchell
What does it take to make the Amazon worth more standing than gone? Not in theory—but in practice, on the ground, with real communities, real businesses, and real money. This episode of Rewilding Amazonia follows three people who have built economic models that answer that question from completely different angles.Eduardo Nycander founded Rainforest Expeditions in Peru's Tambopata region in 1989—a community ecotourism joint venture with the Ese'eja people that has proven a healthy forest is worth more per hectare than any alternative land use. Drago Bozovich's company manages 183,000 hectares of FSC-certified forest in Madre de Dios, harvesting less than one tree per hectare every twenty years while running Brazil nut operations that provide year-round employment—and his company’s forests now have jaguar densities higher than Manu National Park. Isabel Felandro of Cool Earth is tackling a different problem: the communities with no product to sell and no income stable enough to resist the pressure to destroy what they have. Her answer is unconditional cash transfers—and the first conservation basic income pilot in the Peruvian Amazon is already showing results. The economic case for the standing forest isn't idealism. It's evidence. If this episode changed how you think about conservation, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Would you like to give to Rewildology? Donate here: https://givebutter.com/supportrewildology TIMESTAMPS0:00 Introduction: Dawn on the river1:44 Eduardo Nycander: 35 years in the Amazon3:53 Rainforest Expeditions: Building the business6:02 Partnership with the Ese'Eja community of Infierno8:41 Spreading the economic benefit9:57 The macaw nesting crisis12:39 Eduardo's legacy & training the wider region14:08 Drago Bozovich: Three generations of Amazon forestry15:43 FSC-certified sustainable harvesting explained17:56 20 years later: The forest comes back19:55 Brazil nuts & year-round employment21:03 Jaguars denser than national parks22:18 Isabel Felandro: From Cambridge to the field25:05 Cool Earth's model: Direct cash to communities26:22 The climate finance gap28:09 Conservation basic income pilot30:33 Early results: Less stress, more conservation33:24 Economic stability & indigenous land defenders35:20 Advocacy & the shift in climate finance37:01 Conclusion: The economic case for the standing forest CREDITSExecutive Producer & Host: Brooke MitchellAssociate Producer & Music Composer: Brad Parsons LISTEN TO THE FULL SERIEShttps://rewildology.com/episode-group/rewilding-amazonia/ SHOW NOTES & NEWSLETTERShow notes & subscribe to newsletter, https://rewildology.com/ SUPPORT REWILDOLOGYhttps://rewildology.com/support-the-show/ LISTEN TO THE REWILDOLOGY PODCASTApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3YXWSsFSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3oW6artLcvxX0QoW1TCcrq?si=ff3b5e2ec90542a2 FOLLOW REWILDOLOGYYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RewildologyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/rewildology/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rewildology/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rewildologyX:
What this episode covers
What does it take to make the Amazon worth more standing than gone? Not in theory—but in practice, on the ground, with real communities, real businesses, and real money. This episode of Rewilding Amazonia follows three people who have built economic models that answer that question from completely different angles.Eduardo Nycander founded Rainforest Expeditions in Peru's Tambopata region in 1989—a community ecotourism joint venture with the Ese'eja people that has proven a healthy forest is worth more per hectare than any alternative land use. Drago Bozovich's company manages 183,000 hectares of FSC-certified forest in Madre de Dios, harvesting less than one tree per hectare every twenty years while running Brazil nut operations that provide year-round employment—and his company’s forests now have jaguar densities higher than Manu National Park. Isabel Felandro of Cool Earth is tackling a different problem: the communities with no product to sell and no income stable enough to resist the pressure to destroy what they have. Her answer is unconditional cash transfers—and the first conservation basic income pilot in the Peruvian Amazon is already showing results. The economic case for the standing forest isn't idealism. It's evidence. If this episode changed how you think about conservation, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Would you like to give to Rewildology? Donate here: https://givebutter.com/supportrewildology TIMESTAMPS0:00 Introduction: Dawn on the river1:44 Eduardo Nycander: 35 years in the Amazon3:53 Rainforest Expeditions: Building the business6:02 Partnership with the Ese'Eja community of Infierno8:41 Spreading the economic benefit9:57 The macaw nesting crisis12:39 Eduardo's legacy & training the wider region14:08 Drago Bozovich: Three generations of Amazon forestry15:43 FSC-certified sustainable harvesting explained17:56 20 years later: The forest comes back19:55 Brazil nuts & year-round employment21:03 Jaguars denser than national parks22:18 Isabel Felandro: From Cambridge to the field25:05 Cool Earth's model: Direct cash to communities26:22 The climate finance gap28:09 Conservation basic income pilot30:33 Early results: Less stress, more conservation33:24 Economic stability & indigenous land defenders35:20 Advocacy & the shift in climate finance37:01 Conclusion: The economic case for the standing forest CREDITSExecutive Producer & Host: Brooke MitchellAssociate Producer & Music Composer: Brad Parsons LISTEN TO THE FULL SERIEShttps://rewildology.com/episode-group/rewilding-amazonia/ SHOW NOTES & NEWSLETTERShow notes & subscribe to newsletter, https://rewildology.com/ SUPPORT REWILDOLOGYhttps://rewildology.com/support-the-show/ LISTEN TO THE REWILDOLOGY PODCASTApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3YXWSsFSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3oW6artLcvxX0QoW1TCcrq?si=ff3b5e2ec90542a2 FOLLOW REWILDOLOGYYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RewildologyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/rewildology/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rewildology/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rewildologyX:
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The New Economy: Making the Amazon Forest Worth More Standing
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