There is a widespread myth that small-scale and informal gold mining is the most lucrative livelihood for local and migrant communities in the Peruvian Amazon, and illegal mining is increasing every day. While many people are trying to make a living from mining, those “informal mining” operations are destroying large swaths of the region’s rainforest, polluting rivers, and threatening the region’s biodiversity. A recent study from Columbia University brings hopeful news, finding that more sustainable activities—including Brazil nut harvesting and fish farming—can actually outpace the financial gains of gold mining and serve as a solution to long-term forest conservation in the Amazon. The research was published in July in Sustainability.