Alberto Tavares Pereira

Alberto was born in Rio Branco, the capital of Acre State. His formative years were shaped by two legendary Amazon campaigners: Chico Mendes and Marina Silva. Until his assassination in 1988 Chico Mendes led the rubber tappers’ fight to defend their forests and earn a living from them. Marina Silva, the former Brazilian Environment Minister and daughter of a rubber tapper in Acre, was Alberto’s History of the Amazon teacher at secondary school.
 
Alberto studied Economics and then a Masters in Management. His career has focussed on assisting charities, governments and social movements in strategic planning. This has included supporting the National Rubber Tappers Council to develop the strategic plan for their organisation. For 15 years Alberto has worked in the Amazon with different organisations and local communities on many different forest products such as rubber, responsible timber management and Brazil nuts. He joined WWF five years ago to assist in the development of a consortium of 5 civil society organisations to facilitate market links for their forest produce. Alberto currently leads WWF’s strategy for the priority area of Acre-Purus, one of the most biologically important areas of the Amazon. Alberto is passionate about his work and the opportunities he sees for a forest-based economy that achieves both conservation and poverty alleviation at the same time.

I want to be able to witness the time when a hectare of forest is worth more than a hectare of pasture, when both society and markets value the true worth of the Amazon’s forests and the goods it provides us all with.