A $2.30-a-day basic income trial is trying to save the Amazon rainforest

The impact and efficacy of UBI programs are still being investigated, and Johan Oldekop, an academic specializing in environment and development at the UK’s Manchester University, sounded a note of caution when commenting on this project to The Guardian.

Oldekop praised the goal of supporting Indigenous communities, who are leaders in preserving rainforests. But, he added, there is “little and mixed evidence on the environmental effects of cash transfers around the world.”

Some data shows that UBI programs can actually lead to deforestation because families can use the cash to expand their agricultural businesses, chopping down trees to do so, he said.

Felandro told BI that this is a fair concern, but added that here “the scale is very minor.”

Families often only have small plots of land that they use primarily to feed themselves. “We’re not talking about large-scale production of cacao or coffee,” she said.

Communities that participated in Cool Earth’s prior cash transfer projects saw up to 46% less deforestation compared to similar neighboring communities, Felandro added.