This article was originally published on Conservation International‘s Human Nature Blog.
“In order to adequately protect the species and ecosystems that form the backbone of a healthy planet, their value must be better integrated into the global economy. As scientists and policymakers gather in Cancun to discuss how to achieve this, Conservation International’s (CI) Carlos Manuel Rodriguez shares how a recent policy exchange between two countries helped spread the word about how to do it.
On the mountain slopes of Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, a group of Cambodians got their first glimpse of a flock of great green macaws perching in a nearby tree. More than 50 birds, representing as much as one-fourth of the total population of this endangered species, ate fruit and socialized as our group talked with Juan Campos, a Costa Rican farmer who over the last decade has improved his agricultural practices and now protects his forest. What caused this change? Campos now gets paid for the water his forested land produces, given its location uphill from a hydroelectric power plant.
This jungle-friendly farm provided the perfect backdrop for the purpose of our visit: showing Cambodian leaders how my home country has managed to transform its economy from one dependent on smallholder agriculture into a healthier one built on protecting and sustainably using nature…”
Read on at: Conservation International‘s Human Nature Blog.
