Conservation policies and modernisation projects: The resistance of Brazilian Traditional Communities

This article analyses the impacts of modernisation projects and conservation policies on Traditional territories in Brazil, highlighting the resistance and adaptation strategies developed by rubber tappers, everlasting flower gatherers, vazanteiros , and veredeiros . Critiquing the notions of nature implicit in both modernisation projects and conservation policies, the text draws on decolonial ecology and environmental racism to assess how territorial expropriation and environmental degradation have disproportionately affected Traditional Communities while benefiting exclusionary economic development models. Each case examined illustrates this dynamic based on the historical constitution and way of life of the groups in question. The article argues that conservation policies, by adopting an exclusionary vision of nature, often disregard the knowledge and rights of Traditional Communities, perpetuating social and environmental inequalities. It concludes that biodiversity conservation efforts must integrate the social, cultural, and historical dimensions of local communities, challenging hegemonic logics of development and conservation.