Politics
Exploit the Amazon: Brazil Unveils Its Radical New Sales Pitch
The country’s environment minister says the best way to save the region from burning is to open it up to business.
Photographer: Ricardo Oliveira/AFP/Getty Images
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Brazil’s environment minister has a vision for the Amazon — as a money-making venture open to business.
In meetings with international fund managers, Ricardo Salles pitches the rainforest as a novel opportunity ripe for investment. Where conservationists see a fragile region in urgent need of protection, Salles sells an image of cosmetics and pharmaceutical companies exploiting the jungle’s myriad exotic herbs, nuts and fruits.