Has the Amazon Run Out of Chances? / Francisco (Pacho) von Hildebrand

Podcasts | Restoring our planet

May 8, 2025

In 2019, Carlos Nobre, a leading Brazilian scientist, published an open letter entitled “Amazon tipping point: Last chance for action.” If that article were published today, it might have to be titled, “No more chances” because the past five years have seen record-breaking drought throughout the region as well as record-breaking forest fires.

Indeed, from a distance it looks like large parts of the rainforest are now tipping towards grasslands, with potentially devastating consequences for regional and global rain and weather patterns. Can what is still left—essentially the northern slice from the Atlantic to the Andes—be saved?

Francisco von Hildebrand (Pacho) thinks it can. As someone who essentially grew up in the Amazon and now as leader of Gaia Amazonas, he has a key role to play in the struggle to support the Indigenous people living in the Amazon who are critical to keeping what’s left of the rainforest intact.

Listen as Pacho explains why he believes the Amazon can still be saved. Tell us what you think in the comments below.

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Find the New Thinking for a New World podcast on a platform of your choice (Apple podcast, Spotify, Google podcast, Youtube, etc.)

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Francisco (Pacho) von Hildebrand is a third-generation leader and director of Gaia Amazonas, he has dedicated his life to safeguarding the Amazon rainforest and defending the rights of Indigenous communities. His legacy has been recognized with prestigious awards.

His contribution lies in finding a balance between Indigenous knowledge, solutions, and governance, and Western strategies. This approach has set a new standard for development in ecologically sensitive areas. Furthermore, it has established a new benchmark for innovative development frameworks in ecologically sensitive regions around the world.

His experience and background have had a significant impact through his involvement on the boards of RAISG and the North Amazon Alliance (ANA), playing a key role in protecting over 2 million square kilometers of the Amazon Basin.

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