In this episode, Michael speaks with Eddy Niesten, an independent consultant who spent more than a decade working for Conservation International as a conservation economist.

During his time at Conservation International, Eddy played a role in developing and implementing what is known as the Conservation Stewards Program, an example of the payment for ecosystem services (PES) approach. In a recent episode of the podcast, Michael spoke with Sarah Milne about a book that she wrote in which she is critical of the conservation stewards program as it was implemented in Cambodia. In this discussion, Eddy helps Michael understand the various components of the program and its logic.

Eddy and Michael conclude their conversation by discussing the steps that Eddy has taken since leaving Conservation International and some of the changes within the organization that he experienced during his career there.

Resources:

The Conservation Stewards Program