TED Talks Daily The world's first "nature superpower" | Ilona Szabó de Carvalho
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Aug 18, 2025 
Ilona Szabó de Carvalho, a civic entrepreneur dedicated to combating environmental crime, shares her vision for Brazil as a 'nature superpower.' She discusses how the country can transform its economy by profiting from healthy forests instead of exploiting them. Szabó highlights initiatives to foster a sustainable bioeconomy and innovative strategies that tackle illegal deforestation. Her insights illustrate the potential for ecological stability while promoting economic growth, showcasing that environmental conservation and economic prosperity can coexist.
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Nature As National Identity
- Brazil's natural assets — the Amazon, vast rivers, and unmatched biodiversity — form the basis for a national identity and economic advantage.
- Ilona Szabó de Carvalho argues these assets should drive policy and international leadership to remake the economy.
Illegal Deforestation Is A Huge Crime Economy
- Over 40 years Brazil lost an area larger than California and over 90% of that deforestation was illegal.
- Ilona connects illegal clearing to a $280 billion global environmental crime economy threatening climate and water security.
Working With Law Enforcement
- Ilona describes supporting police, prosecutors, and financial experts to follow illegal-product money across the Amazon basin.
- She reports that policing alone can't solve the problem because the Amazon is larger than the EU.