A transformative multispecies land use ethic for the Amazon

Abstract

The Amazon rainforest is nearing a critical tipping point, calling for a transformative approach to land use that addresses intersecting forms of socioecological injustice in the planet's most biodiverse region. Drawing on sustainability science, political ecology, and ecological economics, this chapter examines the ethical dimensions of land use in the Amazon, with particular focus on the bioeconomy. We explore practices developed by Indigenous peoples, other local communities, and environmental activists in response to ecosystem degradation and social injustice driven by foreign interests, local elites, and dominant sectors, especially agribusiness. These initiatives - framed as 'sociobioeconomies'- foster land and water stewardship rooted in multispecies justice, sustaining the relationships and lifeways of diverse forest communities. Inspired by such practices, we advocate for a land use ethic that recognizes the interconnectedness, intrinsic value, and agency of all forms of life- human and more-than-human- and that is inclusive, relational, intercultural, and grounded in diverse, often marginalized, knowledge systems, contributing to transformative regional change.