Ocho Sur CEO says Amazon conservation depends on formal jobs

Michael Spoor says Ocho Sur’s palm oil operations in Peru’s Ucayali region show how rural employment, conservation agreements and traceable production can coexist. He argues the Amazon can protect forests better when families have stable incomes and a future where they live.

Why it matters: - Michael Spoor says Peru’s Amazon does not have to choose between jobs and forests. - The Ocho Sur CEO argues formal employment helps reduce pressure to clear additional land. - The company says its model combines rural income, conservation areas and work with neighboring communities. - Spoor also frames traceability and sustainability as market requirements that will shape who keeps access to major buyers.

What happened: - In an interview with Expreso published June 29, 2026, Spoor said, “There is no conservation without human development.” - Spoor said Ocho Sur operates in Ucayali, Peru, on land that was already deforested before the sustainability cut-off dates he cited. - Ocho Sur says it has generated more than 2,000 direct jobs. - The company says it maintains conservation agreements with neighboring native communities and protects more than 2,000 hectares. - Ocho Sur says its Amazon operations include more than 10,000 hectares under regenerative palm oil production.

The details: - Spoor said families need economic opportunities, and forests are lost when those opportunities are missing. - The CEO said formal jobs provide predictable income, social protection, access to healthcare and the ability to plan ahead. - Spoor said workers have used those opportunities to help children reach technical school or university for the first time in their families. - He said families have improved homes, started small businesses and built savings. - Spoor said palm oil can provide reliable monthly income for more than 30 years. - He said that long-term income helps families invest in education, improve housing and stay rooted in rural communities. - Ocho Sur says its agreements with nearby native communities support priorities set by those communities, including education, connectivity, environmental monitoring and local development projects.

Between the lines: - Spoor is making a broader case for Amazon development as a conservation tool, not a threat to it. - The argument reflects a growing push in agro-industry to prove where products come from and how they were produced. - Spoor warned that consumers, investors, regulators and major brands are raising expectations around sustainability, traceability and emissions reduction. - He said large companies may be able to handle documentation and mapping demands more easily than small producers. - That leaves room for a policy and investment gap if sustainability standards expand faster than rural producers can adapt. - Spoor also presented Ucayali as an underused export region with agricultural potential, favorable climate and a young workforce. - Ocho Sur’s claim that it accounts for more than 50% of regional exports underscores how central the company has become to the local economy.

What's next: - Spoor said Peru can become a global benchmark in responsible tropical agriculture if it supports sustainability with inclusion. - The CEO said the Amazon’s future depends on investment, technology, infrastructure and clear rules. - Ocho Sur says its next phase is tied to building an economy that encourages people to invest in their communities instead of leaving them. - The company’s message suggests future growth will depend on proving both environmental compliance and social impact.

The bottom line: - Ocho Sur is pitching a simple thesis: in the Amazon, conservation is easier to defend when local communities have formal work, stable income and a reason to stay.