In this interview, Fernando Sampaio discusses the evolution of the Brazilian beef industry and the widening application of sustainability initiatives. He recounts how the dominant Brazilian meat packers emerged from a land occupation movement and grew with increased government investment in the 1960s. Sampaio also emphasizes that traceability has been an issue in the industry since the 2000s due to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease and bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as mad cow disease. He explains the role of the Animal Transit Guide in addressing the problem and anticipates that the implementation of the Agricultural and Livestock Management Platform, a newly integrated database, will further improve transparency. Sampaio then reflects on the impact of the Brazilian Roundtable on Sustainable Livestock, the “Slaughtering the Amazon” campaign by Greenpeace, and the consequent lawsuit against meat packers in 2009. Finally, he reviews the challenges associated with improving transparency and sustainability, from increasing communication between the public and private sector to enforcing compliance with the forest code.

In this interview, Alvaro Ugalde speaks about discovering his own love for conservation biology and for Costa Rica’s biodiversity, especially in Osa, which he describes as one of the most difficult conservation regions to manage. He also explains the role of the Director of the Park Service. Ugalde recalls Costa Rica’s environmental history, detailing his process of founding and supporting expansion of the parks system. He explains that despite much progress in the recent past, the protected areas today are not sufficient. Ugalde emphasizes the importance of proper management of the parks, and explains his belief that educating locals about the ecosystem they inhabit will encourage them to take responsibility for their environmental impact. Ugalde says there can be no conservation without justice, and also talks about compensation efforts for those displaced by conservation projects.