Ocho Sur CEO says conservation depends on human development in Peru's Amazon

Michael Spoor, CEO of Ocho Sur, argues that formal jobs, land-use planning and community partnerships are the path to protecting forests in Ucayali, Peru. He says palm oil can support conservation when production is kept on already-cleared land and local families gain stable income.

Why it matters: - Michael Spoor says the Amazon does not have to choose between economic activity and forest protection. - Ocho Sur is positioning formal employment as a conservation tool in Ucayali, where rural poverty and migration pressures shape land use. - The company says more stable incomes help families stay on already-cleared land instead of expanding into forests.

What happened: - In an interview published by Diario Expreso on June 29, 2026, Spoor said: "No hay conservación sin desarrollo humano." - Spoor said Ocho Sur operates a model that links formal jobs, nearby communities and protected forest areas in the Peruvian Amazon. - Ocho Sur says the company has created more than 2,000 direct jobs. - Ocho Sur says the company has operations in Ucayali and more than 10,000 hectares under regenerative palm oil production.

The details: - Spoor said the key is producing on land that was already deforested before sustainability cut-off dates recognized by industry standards. - Ocho Sur says it protects thousands of hectares of conservation areas and riparian forests. - The company says its workers have used income from formal jobs to improve housing, start small businesses and build savings. - Spoor said some workers' children are the first in their families to attend technical school or university. - Spoor said palm oil can provide reliable monthly income for more than 30 years, which he says helps families invest in education and local life. - Ocho Sur says it has agreements with neighboring Indigenous communities to protect more than 2,000 hectares. - Those agreements support community priorities including education, connectivity, environmental monitoring and local development projects. - Spoor said consumers, investors, regulators and major brands are demanding more sustainability, traceability and emissions reduction from Amazon agribusiness. - Spoor said meeting those demands is harder for small producers because land records, mapping and traceability systems can be difficult to maintain. - Ocho Sur says the company accounts for more than 50% of Ucayali's exports. - Spoor said Ucayali has agroindustrial potential, favorable climate and a young population that wants opportunity. - Ocho Sur says Peru's Amazon needs investment, technology, infrastructure and clear rules to expand formal jobs and exports.

Between the lines: - Spoor is arguing against a common environmental frame: that conservation only works when economic activity is limited. - The pitch is also strategic. Sustainability and traceability requirements are becoming market filters, and companies that cannot document sourcing may lose access to premium buyers. - Spoor's message places community inclusion at the center of environmental policy, not as an add-on. - The company's scale in Ucayali gives Ocho Sur a strong platform to make that argument, but it also increases pressure to prove the model works in practice.

What's next: - Spoor said Peru can become a global reference for responsible tropical agriculture if it uses the current sustainability transition well. - Ocho Sur is expected to keep expanding community agreements, conservation areas and formal employment tied to its Ucayali operations. - The company will also need to keep proving traceability and land-use compliance as buyers and regulators tighten standards.

The bottom line: - Spoor's case is simple: in the Amazon, forest protection is more durable when local families have formal work, stable incomes and a stake in staying on the land. - More information is available at Ocho Sur's website.