Amazon 4.0
When we deal with the conservation of native cultures, perhaps the point of greatest intersection of interests is in the empirical technology carried by these peoples. Because if there is a mark for the design demands that begin to take shape at the beginning of our century, this is the coupling of economic activities to the regeneration capacity of natural resources. Allied to the marked pressure on the economy and on the forms of socialization imposed by the COVID-19 health crisis, movements such as the ESG (Environment, Social and Governance), Stakeholder Capitalism or even the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) proposed by the UN, seem to wanting to assume the counter-effects and turn the page of practically three centuries of industrial revolution once and for all.
Aerial view of the Amazon rainforest. Istock/FG Trade.
It is precisely in this context that the Amazon comes into focus, symbolizing what could become the Mecca of innovation in the coming years. If Silicon Valley managed to develop business models and technologies that broke the notion of borders and put the sovereignty of nation-states in check, the challenge of the biologically most fertile region of the world is to reconcile the undeniable global demands of today. In addition to the objective of making a good picture and the moral pretexts attached to the argument, strengthening the Amazon has become a survival necessity for those who do not wish to take a ride on Elon Musk's space shuttle, much less live to see the cinematic dystopias of “The Terminator” and “Mad Max”.
“The greatest potential of the Amazon is biodiversity, not livestock, nor traditional agriculture, nor ore. That’s why I defend the “Third Amazon Route” project, which we call Amazon 4.0, which seeks to reveal the potential of the forest through a bioeconomy based on the extremely rich Amazonian biodiversity.”
Here, the big question that remains is: will Brazil manage to assume the protagonism that is yours by right, or will it become the biggest obstacle in the evolution of this irreversible trend? If it depends on this mismanagement that we have now, the answer is obvious. However, if we know how to integrate the knowledge of our scientists, the initiative of our entrepreneurs and the technology of our indigenous peoples, history could change. Who knows, maybe this multidisciplinary syncretism is not our last chance to transfigure the mongrel archetype?
José M. da Costa is a researcher, designer, and founder of Storiologia.
