Rodrigo Cunha: The Voice Behind TEDxAmazonia at the "A Possible Amazon" Seminar in Norway
- Rodrigo Braz Vieira
- Oct 9, 2024
- 4 min read
Rodrigo Cunha, CEO and founder of the communication agency Profile, has been a pioneer in telling stories focused on sustainability, positive impact, and regenerative projects since 2013. Under his leadership, Profile became a certified B Corporation, reflecting its commitment to driving meaningful change in Brazil and beyond. Rodrigo also co-organized TEDxAmazonia in 2010, an event dedicated to sharing ideas that resonate with the richness of the Amazon region. After a 13-year pause, the second edition of TEDxAmazonia took place in 2023, and now Rodrigo is preparing for the third edition in 2024, with the theme "Collective Ancestry."
Rodrigo is currently in Oslo for the second edition of the "A Possible Amazon" seminar, organized by the Brazilian-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce (BNCC), which will take place on October 10 at The Conduit Oslo. He will participate in the opening session as a speaker, sharing his unique insights on sustainable development and his experience as the organizer of TEDxAmazonia. Brasil i Norge interviewed Rodrigo about his expectations for the seminar and his vision on fostering global collaboration for the future of the Amazon.
Photo: Alex Pazuello SECOM
You came to Oslo for the "A Possible Amazon" seminar. What do you most hope to share with the Norwegian audience about the role of the Amazon in global sustainability?
At the "A Possible Amazon" seminar here in Oslo, my main expectation is to share lessons from organizing TEDxAmazonia. We all know that the Amazon rainforest is not only a vital source of biodiversity but also one of the planet’s greatest climate regulators. It absorbs vast amounts of carbon, helps maintain global weather patterns, and supports a vast ecological network essential for life on Earth.
Moreover, the Amazon has a direct impact on Brazil's agricultural production. Without the forest, the central region of the country could experience a significant reduction in rainfall, between 25% and 40%, severely affecting agriculture and food security, as well as the quality of air, rivers, soils, and all life in the region and worldwide. This is a consequence that much of the global population does not fully understand.
On the other hand, local populations understand the preservation of the biome like no one else. Recent archaeological studies point to the existence of an organic civilization in the Amazon that dates back at least 10,000 years. Moreover, studies from 2023 indicate that approximately half of all trees in the Amazon belong to just 20 species. Science suggests this is likely a result of human management.
However, we are facing a real threat. Research conducted by a group of Brazilian scientists, published in Nature, suggests that the Amazon could reach a tipping point by 2050, where the forest risks collapsing, which would have catastrophic consequences for the climate and life worldwide. What’s at stake here is immense, and the Amazon must be preserved.
What I hope to convey is that protecting the Amazon should not be seen as just a regional issue, but rather a global challenge. We need to unite efforts to protect this biome while finding ways to generate sustainable development for local communities, maintaining the balance between conservation, economic progress, and development.
Photo: Visit Brasil
With the relaunch of TEDxAmazonia in 2023 after a 13-year hiatus, how did this new edition reflect the changes in the global environmental conversation?
Since we organized TEDxAmazonia in 2010, there has always been the desire to do more. This desire lay dormant until November 2022, when Brazil was going through a change in government, and I realized that it was the moment to highlight the wonders and concerns of the Amazon rainforest.
The relaunch of TEDxAmazonia in 2023, after 13 years, reflected the profound changes in the global environmental conversation by emphasizing the urgent need to connect more deeply with the Amazon. While we see many leaders and public figures talking about the importance of the biome, the Amazon is often perceived as something distant for most people. This creates a disconnection that prevents a real appreciation of the forest. And we can’t love, care for, or value something we don’t know. This was the driving force behind bringing TEDxAmazonia back last year.
TEDxAmazonia also emerged from the need to find solutions, and that’s why in 2023, under the theme “Where Voices Meet,” we invited 46 voices from different perspectives, regions, and realities to talk about the forest and explore how we can take care of it. Bioeconomy, income generation and opportunities, territorial development, science, entrepreneurship, archaeology, rights of nature, and topics such as local populations' territorial occupation, deforestation combat, and biodiversity conservation were among the themes addressed at the event, which undoubtedly affect the entire world.
As you prepare for the third edition of TEDxAmazonia in 2024, how do you see the event influencing the international dialogue on the future of the Amazon?
Once again, from November 29 to December 1, the event returns with the purpose of amplifying the voices, knowledge, cultural richness, and beauty that make this region the world’s greatest natural heritage. Caring for, talking about, and learning about the Amazon is tied to our future.
This year, TEDxAmazonia returns with the theme "Collective Ancestry." We cannot look forward to building a future we can be proud of without connecting with our past. This has been true for our species, but it’s becoming less so in our highly technological and immediate society. This year, we want to honor and revere traditional voices while learning from the new technologies that will take us forward, without ignoring our past, which has brought us here.
We learned a lot from indigenous and traditional peoples last year, and it became very clear that many solutions to take care of the forest, the world’s primary natural asset, are alive in ancient traditions. Collective ancestry goes beyond family roots; it encompasses shared wisdom, the knowledge passed down from generation to generation within peoples around the world.
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