Azzedine Downes, president and CEO of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), advocates for a pragmatic and economically integrated approach to conservation that extends beyond traditional scientific efforts. Speaking from Southern California, Downes frames sustainability as a multidimensional enterprise that aligns environmental stewardship with the economic realities faced by communities living in and around wildlife habitats.

Downes emphasizes that protecting ecosystems requires investing directly in the people who depend on them. “True sustainability isn’t about managing decline; it’s about aligning incentives to build a future where both business and nature can thrive together,” he explained. He argues that conservation must move beyond simply monitoring animal populations to fundamentally changing human behavior, including how societies interact with the environment and its economic drivers.

Central to IFAW’s strategy is the combination of rescuing individual animals with broader efforts to conserve species and habitats, a dual focus designed to maximize the chances of long-term success. Downes highlights that this work is both science-based and economically informed, recognizing that preserving biodiversity ultimately safeguards human economic and societal well-being.

Addressing the challenges faced by people living in poverty, Downes insists that expecting them to prioritize wildlife protection over immediate survival needs is unrealistic. “I’ve literally met people who come to me and say, ‘I haven’t eaten anything in three or four days,’” he said. “Hearing that, how am I going to convince that person to protect elephants?” His approach involves listening carefully to local communities to understand and reflect their priorities rather than imposing outside agendas.

Downes also acknowledges the complex role of politics and policy in conservation, noting that political decisions often follow public pressure rather than scientific evidence. He critiques the prevalent corporate mentality that assigns value to nature solely based on its ability to generate direct financial returns. “There is a philosophy that nature must pay for itself. And if it fails to do so, it has no value,” he said, cautioning that such thinking risks undermining conservation efforts.

Illegal wildlife trafficking presents another critical challenge. Downes describes poaching networks as sophisticated criminal enterprises that adapt quickly to enforcement pressures, employing technology and shifting trade practices. IFAW has turned to artificial intelligence as a tool to identify and disrupt these activities by enhancing detection of illegal products through detailed image recognition and data analysis.

Despite these obstacles, Downes remains optimistic about the future of global conservation. He points to the COVID-19 pandemic, when nature showed a rapid capacity for recovery when human pressures eased, as evidence that a tipping point has not yet been reached. “It’s not too late… we have not passed that tipping point,” he said.

He urges business leaders, governments, and individuals to collectively take responsibility for protecting the environment. Rejecting fatalism, Downes frames hope as an active operational strategy rooted in collaboration and innovation. For him, conservation is not about managing decline but proving that a future in which humans and the natural world coexist and prosper remains attainable.