Alternative Organizing to Development: Learning from socio-biodiversity enterprises in the Amazon rainforest region

Hakemuksen tiivistelmä

Protecting biodiversity, halting deforestation, and restoring natural ecosystems are critical to addressing our multiple crises. Local and traditional communities are vital in this endeavor, having historically safeguarded nature. This doctoral research project explores alternative organizing principles employed by traditional communities to protect natural environments, drawing upon insights from experiences in the Amazon Rainforest. It focuses on six enterprises developing products and services that blend rainforest resources with a plurality of local, traditional, and indigenous knowledge as a means to support forest protection. Examples include non-timber forest products, community-based ecotourism, and sustainable agroforestry practices. The project is structured into three articles, each addressing different facets of the overarching research question: Which and how can alternative organizing principles be employed to protect natural environments? It utilizes an interpretive qualitative methodology with ethnographic-informed data collection conducted between November 2022 and June 2024, including interactions with over 100 participants, interviews, and extensive field notes, employing narratives as the main analytical strategy. The research contributes to emergent literature on alternative organizing by examining these enterprises as catalysts for environmental protection through post-development perspectives. Moreover, the project promotes international exchange, fostering change and experimentation with transferable insights for global forest conservation efforts. By engaging with traditional communities, the project aims to offer alternatives rooted in fair and inclusive ideals, addressing deepening climate and sustainability crises, contributing valuable insights to global discussions on environmental protection and climate action.