Biodiversity for Billionaires: Capitalism, Conservation and the Role of Philanthropy in Saving/Selling Nature

Abstract

This article examines the role of philanthropy in conservation as a way of exploring how and why conservation might be becoming more neoliberal. It describes how conservation philanthropy supports capitalism both discursively and in more practical ways. Philanthropy is examined in terms of the two forces considered to be driving the neoliberalization of conservation — the need for capitalism to find new ways of making money, and the desire of conservationists to engage with capitalism as the best way of getting things done. It demonstrates how philanthropy can speak to both of these logics simultaneously, particularly through emerging ideas of philanthrocapitalism, which may be enhancing the neoliberalization of both philanthropy and conservation.

The "White Gold of Jihad": violence, legitimisation and contestation in anti-poaching strategies

“…Following general neoliberal principles, the state's role in conservation has been widely reduced, except where it has been redeployed to regulate and facilitate markets (Holmes, 2011). The neoliberalization of conservation (Brockington and Duffy, 2010;Igoe and Brockington, 2006;Holmes, 2012;McCarthy and Prudham, 2004;Moore, 2011) has altered relationships between states and INGOs, devolving control and influence, rewarding close connections and personal networks, and fostering a two-way exchange of discourse and ideas. This, in turn, reinforces the position of the INGOs (Holmes, 2011).…”

Political ecology and conservation policies: some theoretical genealogies

“…Or should access be limited, for reasons of environmental integrity, to a few privileged visitors? On one side we encounter elitist visions of conservation, associated with exclusion and privilege where local access to resources and visitors' flows of people are limited (Holmes 2011(Holmes , 2012. In these circumstances high-end tourist packages make economic development (the commoditization of nature) and conservation compatible with a low level of impact.…”

Accumulation by securitization: Commercial poaching, neoliberal conservation, and the creation of new wildlife frontiers

“…Related, land and biodiversity are increasingly coming under the control and ownership of private interests, often outside of state-run conservation territories. This has resulted in the expansion of actors involved in conservation well beyond the state and colonial regime to include influential elites (Brockington and Duffy, 2010;Holmes, 2012), and entrepreneurs and businesses (BŸscher and Fletcher, Forthcoming;Gardner, 2012;Leach et al, 2012;Snijders, 2012). Reflecting the rising trend in conservation-security, this also includes security actors and others motivated by security logics (C ‡rdenas, 2012;Ojeda, 2012;Ybarra, 2012).…”