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Received: 8 March 2023 | Accepted: 18 January 2024

DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10600

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Not in it for the money: Meaningful relationships sustain


voluntary land conservation initiatives in Peru

Rocío López de la Lama1,2 | Nathan Bennett2,3,4 | Janette Bulkan5 |


Santiago de la Puente6,7 | Kai M. A. Chan1
1
Institute of Resources, Environment, and Sustainability—IRES, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; 2School of Public
Policy and Global Affairs, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; 3Global Science, World Wildlife Fund, Washington, USA/Global Oceans Practice,
World Wildlife Fund for Nature, Gland, Switzerland; 4People and the Ocean Specialist Group, Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy,
International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland; 5Faculty of Forestry, Forest Sciences Centre, The University of British Columbia,
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; 6Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries—IOF, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
and 7Norwegian Institute of Water Research—NIVA, Oslo, Norway

Correspondence
Rocío López de la Lama Abstract
Email: rocio.lopezdelalama@ubc.ca
1. Voluntary land conservation, including privately protected areas (PPAs), is a key
Funding information component of enabling the future of biodiversity on Earth. Accordingly, the ques-
Consejo Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología
tion of motivations has preoccupied conservation social science. True motivations
e Innovación Tecnológica del Perú
(CONCYTEC) are difficult to ascertain, however, even for ourselves.
2. Accordingly, we explore a novel narrative elicitation approach to ask: what fea-
Handling Editor: Rachelle Gould
tures of the land and landowners' relationships with the land encourage and
sustain their commitment to voluntary conservation? What value framings are
conveyed by landowners when sharing their origin stories and the reasons for
sustaining such efforts?
3. We conducted semi-­structured interviews with 32 landowners of PPAs across
Peru. Interviews were designed to elicit landowners' origin stories and on-
going relationships with the land, as well as the values they hold about those
relationships.
4. This paper challenges the current perception that PPAs are driven by wealthy and
foreign landowners in the Peruvian context. Instead, this paper showcases PPAs
as the manifestation of local visions for conservation that align with the landown-
ers' longstanding relationships with the land. Here we identified 15 different re-
lational values that landowners have with nature, non-­human and human beings
that underlie their voluntary conservation efforts.
5. The paper highlights the importance of taking a relational perspective (recogniz-
ing that our existence is enabled and shaped by the relationships we have with
others and with nature) when studying land conservation, emphasizing how PPAs
are the reflection of landowners' intention to maintain, protect and restore the
multiple relationships embedded in the land they strive to conserve.

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is properly cited.
© 2024 The Authors. People and Nature published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society.

People and Nature. 2024;00:1–15.  wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/pan3 | 1


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2 LÓPEZ de la LAMA et al.

KEYWORDS
Peru, privately protected areas, relational values, relationships with nature, socio-­ecological
systems, voluntary land conservation

1 | I NTRO D U C TI O N a good life and those relationships that derive from people's re-
sponsibilities towards the land and nature (Chan et al., 2018; Jax
The ability to meet global goals for conservation depends on et al., 2018; Schröter, 2020; West et al., 2018). Encompassing con-
nations' ability to foster voluntary land conservation (Bingham cepts like sense of place, legacy and stewardship, relational values
et al., 2017). Sole reliance on government-­led efforts in public largely challenge the commonly portrayed dichotomy of intrinsic
lands is insufficient for ensuring ecosystems that are both well-­ (ecological) and instrumental (social and economic) values (Himes
connected and resilient (Stolton et al., 2014). For that reason, & Muraca, 2018; Tadaki et al., 2017).
many nations are increasingly turning to private land conserva- Human cognition research has made it clear that our motiva-
tion strategies, such as conservation easements, conservation tions are difficult to know, even to ourselves. When asked, we can
covenants and privately protected areas (PPAs) (Fitzsimons & provide discrete answers of motivations, but these post-­h oc ratio-
Carr, 2014; Mitchell et al., 2018). These initiatives are largely nalizations cannot perfectly represent cognitive decision-­m aking
managed by a diverse array of stakeholders, including citizens, that often occurs more rapidly than possible through reasoned
local communities, for-­p rofit entities and non-­p rofit institutions deliberation (Kahneman, 2011). This difficulty in understand-
(Mitchell et al., 2018). Engaging such a broad spectrum of par- ing is particularly relevant for land conservation, which is much
ticipants in conservation efforts is crucial for nations aiming to more multifaceted and enduring than most pro-­e nvironmental
achieve the target of protecting 30% of terrestrial land by 2030, behaviours, despite being classified as such (Eyster et al., 2022;
an objective endorsed in the recently ratified Global Biodiversity Naito et al., 2022). Perhaps we can better understand the com-
Framework (Convention on Biological Diversity, 2022). plex suite of underlying reasons people have for engaging in life-­
Efforts to understand how to enable and promote voluntary con- consuming endeavours like voluntary conservation by eliciting
servation have focused on motivations (Farmer et al., 2011; Kabii rich narratives.
& Horwitz, 2006; Selinske et al., 2015), often presupposing that Here we propose that researchers can improve their under-
landowners are primarily motivated by economic incentives (Jack standing of what genuinely motivates conservation actions through
et al., 2008; Levine et al., 2015; Muradian, 2013). This assumption narratives about landowners' history and engagement in land con-
was structural for the payment for ecosystem services literature, servation, analysed through a value-­based lens. With that approach,
which posited that monetary incentives drive conservation prac- we ask: what features of the land and landowners' relationships with
tices (Anderson, 2000; Rode et al., 2015). Yet, emerging research on the land encourage and sustain their commitment to voluntary con-
private land conservation suggests that many landowners are more servation? What value framings are conveyed by landowners when
motivated by relational values, including care, responsibility and sharing their origin stories and the reasons for sustaining such ef-
non-­material benefits (Chan et al., 2017; Chapman et al., 2019; forts? What were landowners' motivations for setting up and man-
Kosoy et al., 2007). These studies challenge the notion that financial aging a PPA? We present a case study of voluntary engagement in
support serves purely as an incentive, proposing instead that it can PPAs in Peru. The results reveal a strong relational value framing
offset costs for landowners to engage in activities that they were underlying voluntary land conservation efforts, the recognition of
already planning to do (Chan et al., 2017; Selinske et al., 2017; Yasué interactions between relationships that fostered and enabled new
& Kirkpatrick, 2020). Despite these insights, a focus on relational and additional types of relationships and the contribution of mean-
values within the context of voluntary land conservation remains ingful relationships towards landowners' commitment to their volun-
scarce (Cortés-­C apano et al., 2019). tary land conservation initiative.
Environmental values provide insight into people's priorities
towards nature. While values have traditionally been classified
into intrinsic (ecological) and instrumental (social and economic) 2 | M E TH O D S
categories, this dichotomy has limited our understanding of the
different human–nature relationships and motivations behind Our analysis is rooted in 32 interviews with landowners of 32 PPAs
people's actions and commitments (Chan et al., 2016; Tadaki in Peru, exclusively those owned and managed by individuals and
et al., 2017). Relational values strive to challenge such dichotomy families. Interviews were designed to elicit landowners' origin stories
by exploring the desired relationships that people want to pro- and ongoing relationships with the land, as well as the values they
tect and sustain with nature (Chan et al., 2016; Tadaki et al., 2017). hold about those relationships. Interviews were analysed through
Relational values, in particular, are defined as ‘preferences, prin- a grounded theory approach. The following subsections detail the
ciples, and virtues associated with relationships’ (Chan et al., 2016). geographic context, landowner recruitment, interview design and
These shed light on the meaningful relationships associated with analysis process.
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LÓPEZ de la LAMA et al. 3

2.1 | Case study: PPAs in Peru 2.2 | Landowners' recruitment and


interview process
Privately protected areas, which Stolton et al. (2014) define as
protected areas under private governance, are experiencing global We conducted 32 semi-­structured interviews with landowners of
expansion both in terms of their number and total area each year individual and family-­led PPAs in Peru. We focused exclusively on
(Bingham et al., 2021). Numerous studies shed light on the poten- PPAs owned and managed by individuals and families, in contrast
tial and effectiveness of voluntary conservation as a mechanism to those managed by communities or organizations, as the practices
to reduce deforestation when compared to both non-­p rotected and decision-­making processes pertaining to the PPA are directly
lands and government-­p rotected lands (Delgado et al., 2021; decided and implemented by the interviewees. PPAs owned by indi-
Palfrey et al., 2021; Schleicher et al., 2017; Shanee et al., 2015). viduals and families represent 51% of Peru's 147 PPAs (as of October
Management of a PPA involves landowners voluntarily dedicating 2022) (López de la Lama et al., 2023).
all or part of their land to conservation, usually foregoing economic Participants were selected through purposive and conve-
opportunities and engaging in different management activities, nience sampling. Landowners were purposively sampled based
such as reforestation or restoration (Campos et al., 2022; Stolton on specific criteria (location, type of ecosystem, extension of
et al., 2014). PPAs), and then convenience drove the final sample. Our main
Peru has a national system of government-­led protected areas focus was on individuals with access to the Internet or cell phone
dedicated to protecting biodiversity, in which PPAs are stipulated reception, as interviews were conducted between October and
as complementary efforts (SERNANP, 2014). PPAs were legally December 2020, when Peru was under a full lockdown because
recognized in 2001 and are defined as ‘private property that spans of the COVID-­19 pandemic. The lead author conducted all semi-­
over critical ecosystems for nature conservation, which are being structured interviews over Zoom, WhatsApp call or Skype. All
voluntarily protected by their owners’ (SERNANP, 2014). A PPA interviews were conducted in Spanish, the native language of all
can be implemented through individual (i.e. individuals, families, participants (but two), and each lasted between 45 and 150 min.
businesses and institutions) or collectively led (i.e. Indigenous Interviews were audio-­recorded with participants' consent. We
Peoples and local communities) initiatives. As of October 2022, stopped conducting further interviews upon reaching data satu-
Peru had 147 PPAs that protected 388,230 ha (López de la Lama ration, which Newing (2011) defines as the stage where collecting
et al., 2023). additional data yields minimal new or useful information essential
The primary requirement for establishing a PPA is land own- for understanding the topic in question. This project was approved
ership, necessitating proof of property rights for either individ- by UBC's ethics committee and followed all pertinent human re-
ual or collective landowners. Therefore, we refer to ‘landowners’ search ethics guidelines, including best practices for online in-
rather than ‘landholders’ since the managers of the PPA are its terviews (Behavioural Research Ethics Board approval number
owners. Other requirements include a technical report detailing H18-­0 3000).
the primary ecological and biological features of the area to jus-
tify designation from an ecological standpoint (SERNANP, 2014).
The Ministry of the Environment is the governmental authority 2.3 | Interview design
in charge of processing landowners' requests and granting formal
recognition to PPAs. The interview guide had the following sections: (1) values and re-
Under the current legal framework, PPAs need to be created lationships with the land being protected; (2) motivations and the
for a minimum of 10 years, and landowners must limit their eco- process through which the land became a PPA; (3) activities and
nomic and productive activities to those compatible with nature practices that take place within the PPA; (4) external factors that
conservation. Thus, ecotourism, environmental education, sci- support or undermine landowners' capacity to achieve the PPA's
entific research and organic agriculture are the most suggested goals; and (5) demographic characteristics (see Appendix S1 for the
economic activities for landowners (Monteferri, 2019). Otherwise, interview guide).
the current legal frameworks do not specify any incentives or Within those sections, we limited our coding for this paper to
support mechanisms for the adequate management and defence the following three questions that were essential for elucidating the
of their PPAs (López de la Lama et al., 2023). Incentives used in diversity of values landowners have with and within their land:
other countries include direct payments (e.g. for carbon, ecosys-
tem services or biodiversity), tax exemptions, access to low-­r ate 1. As someone who cannot be there right now, please describe to
credits and capacity-­b uilding opportunities (Bingham et al., 2017; me what you can see when closing your eyes and imagining that
Selinske et al., 2017). However, as Peru lacks government-­p rovided you are walking through your PPA.
incentives or support mechanisms for PPAs (López de la Lama 2. Which are the aspects of the PPA that you value or cherish the most?
et al., 2023), it presents a unique scenario where motivations for Why?
creating a PPA are not necessarily influenced by official support 3. Could you please tell me what is the story behind your land and the
mechanisms. creation of the PPA?
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4 LÓPEZ de la LAMA et al.

2.4 | Identification and coding of intrinsic, and Guyanese scholars whose lifelong commitment to the duel
instrumental and relational values causes of biological conservation and social justice have inevitably
influenced their feedback and input into the research process and
Interviews were conducted, transcribed and coded using NVivo outputs.
V12. As interviews were conducted in Spanish, coding was also
done in Spanish. Following Newing's recommendation, we re-
frained from translating to preserve valuable nuances within the 3 | R E S U LT S
narratives (Newing, 2011). Original Spanish quotes, used to illus-
trate relational values, are provided as footnotes. We engaged in 3.1 | Profile of landowners
an iterative process of open coding (when the researcher reads
through the data and allows codes to emerge) and axial coding The 32 landowners we interviewed were spread across 10 regions
(organizing different types of codes), guided by overarching value of Peru (Figure 1). Two-­thirds of them were local to the region where
categories (Creswell, 2015). their PPA was located (63%), while others were migrants from Peru's
Focusing solely on responses to our three guiding questions, we capital city (31%) or foreign nationals (6%). In terms of education,
coded intrinsic values when participants provided statements about 65% of landowners had a university degree (31% had also completed
nature's right to exist, nature's value independent of people or when postgraduate degrees), while 31% completed high school educa-
landowners mentioned something of scientific importance about tion (Table 1). This level of post-­secondary education is significantly
the discovery or existence of a species. Similarly, instrumental val- higher than the national average, as only 25% of Peruvians were
ues were identified every time a landowner talked about a benefit enrolled in or graduated from a post-­secondary institution in 2020
for themselves or others, either explicitly or implicitly, that related to (INEI, 2023).
profits or ecosystem services. Finally, relational values were coded Based on Peruvian standards, 91% of the landowners in this
when participants expressed a type of valuable relationship be- study belong to the middle class, as determined by their average
tween themselves and nature, humans or other non-­human beings monthly income (Table 1) (IPSOS, 2020). The classifications are:
within the context of the PPA. We used definitions of value types, high class (over $1800 for Level A), middle class ($1800 USD for
not predetermined categories of intrinsic, instrumental or relational Level B and $1030 USD for Level C), emergent population ($640
values, for the coding process. USD for Level D) and low income ($330 USD for Level E). Local
It is important to note that overlap between different types of val- landowners are mainly middle class (85%), with the rest being emer-
ues may be expected, as they refer to different aspects of deeply in- gent (5%) or low income (10%). In contrast, all migrant landowners,
tertwined human–nature relationships (Himes & Muraca, 2018). In that those from the capital city, are middle class. Notably, people in our
sense, co-­occurrence of instrumental and relational values is possible, sample are relatively better off than the broader Peruvian popu-
such as when people's appreciation of a benefit provided by nature, lation. For comparison, only 37.5% of Peruvians are middle class,
for instance, fertile land for agriculture, is entangled with people's ap- with 26.2% being emergent and 35.3% low-­income (IPSOS, 2020).
preciation of the land in terms of their identity and well-­being (Chan All landowners are required to engage in economic activities,
et al., 2018). Co-­occurrence pertaining to intrinsic and relational values either within or outside the PPAs, to financially support both their
may also be expected, as when people hold intrinsic values about na- conservation initiative and themselves. For instance, ecotourism ac-
ture's rights to exist, that co-­occur with the relational values of respon- tivities are undertaken by 44% of the interviewed landowners, with
sibility, awe and wonder and care for nature (Chan et al., 2018). some relying on their PPAs as their primary source of livelihood.
Additionally, 12% of the landowners are in the process of initiating
their own ecotourism ventures. Only a small minority, constituting
2.5 | Notes on positionality two landowners (6%), are small-­scale farmers who depend exclu-
sively on farming for their livelihoods.
The first author—who was primarily responsible for designing,
conducting and analysing the research—is a middle-­class female
Peruvian scholar who grew up in Peru's capital (Lima) and who 3.2 | Profile of PPAs
has extensively travelled throughout the country. These travels
have allowed her to cultivate multiple relationships with nature Our study reveals that PPAs are safeguarding a diverse range of
and her own thoughts and ideas about people's relationships with ecosystems in Peru. A significant proportion of these PPAs (44%)
nature. The lead author is educated in both Peruvian and inter- are dedicated to the preservation of the Amazon Rainforest. Over
national university settings—in the following areas: conservation a third of PPAs are conserving the cloud forest (38%), located in
science, capacity development and social sciences. This posi- the transitional area between the Peruvian Andes and the Amazon
tionality influenced how the first author designed the research, Rainforest. Additionally, 13% of the PPAs protect the highly vulner-
conducted the interviews and coded and analysed the data. The able Peruvian dry forest, while a smaller percentage focuses on the
co-­authors include three male and one female Canadian, Peruvian Peruvian Tropical Andes (Figure 2).
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LÓPEZ de la LAMA et al. 5

F I G U R E 1 Geographical distribution of
interviewed PPA landowners across Peru.
The map highlights the names of the 10
regions where participating landowners
were located.

In terms of size, PPAs are predominantly small. The majority of with their protected lands. Throughout 32 interviews, we discerned
landowners (63%) oversee PPAs less than 50 ha in size, the smallest intrinsic, instrumental and relational values, each exhibiting differ-
being five hectares. A smaller group (19%) manages PPAs ranging ent levels of diversity. Specifically, participants acknowledged two
from 50 to 100 ha. There are a few larger PPAs, constituting 18%, types of intrinsic values, five types of instrumental values and 15
with sizes varying from 120 to 3350 ha. In terms of duration, the types of relational values (Figure 3).
most common commitment to these PPAs is 10 years (59%), followed Of the 32 interviews conducted, intrinsic values emerged in
by commitments ranging between 20 and 50 years (22%). Notably, 25 (80%), and instrumental values were mentioned in 20 (63%).
six PPAs are established in perpetuity, representing 19% of the total. However, relational values were referenced in all interviews.
Relational values were not only more frequent but also more diverse
compared to intrinsic or instrumental values. Typically, landowners
3.3 | Frequency and diversity of values identified only one type of intrinsic or instrumental value. In con-
trast, they expressed, on average, eight different types of relational
In this study, we employed a coding methodology to identify, define values. This marked difference highlights the significant role that re-
and quantify the various types of values that landowners associate lational values play for the participating landowners.
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6 LÓPEZ de la LAMA et al.

TA B L E 1 Descriptive summary of
Total = 32,
interviewed landowners (n = 32).
Descriptor Categories n (%)

Age class 20 and 30 years old 1 (3%)


30–40 years old 3 (9%)
40–50 years old 7 (22%)
50–60 years old 10 (31%)
60–70 years old 9 (28%)
70+ years old 2 (6%)
Gender Man 21 (66%)
Woman 11 (34%)
Highest level of completed education High School 10 (31%)
University—Bachelor's 11 (34%)
Postgraduate studies 10 (31%)
No response 1 (3%)
Socioeconomic status Level A 0
Level B 18 (56%)
Level C 11 (34%)
Level D 1 (3%)
Level E 2 (6%)
Occupation Professionals 26 (81%)
Farmers 3 (9%)
Retired 3 (9%)
Background Local 20 (63%)
Migrant 10 (31%)
Foreigner 2 (6%)

F I G U R E 2 Photographs showcasing the different types of ecosystems currently protected through privately protected areas in Peru. All
pictures belong to the first author (R.L.).

3.4 | Intrinsic values features of the area, mentioning the ecosystems and species present
in their land (Figure 3). This led to conveying the intrinsic values they
As already mentioned, a majority of landowners (80%, n = 25) started hold towards the landscape and species. For instance, landowners
the interview by acknowledging the key ecological and biological stated that the Amazon rainforest needs to be protected as it has a
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LÓPEZ de la LAMA et al. 7

F I G U R E 3 Percentage of landowners that expressed intrinsic, instrumental and relational values.

value of its own. To illustrate this: ‘On a trip, I made to Brazil, where I (nine landowners) and tourism (seven landowners). For instance, one
saw so much deforestation, I realized how important it is to protect our landowner mentioned that the main reason behind their parents
forest… because it is important on its own. On that trip, I learned how buying the land was to secure a piece of land for their agricultural
important it is to value this place and to protect the species that inhabit activities. Other landowners said that their land has been the tradi-
1
it’ (Male landowner, 52 years old). Others mentioned the intrinsic tional place for their family where they can raise alpacas and vicuñas
values of species, mainly based on the premise that some of them to sell the wool. Finally, another landowner shared that the land she
are rare, endemic and play a key ecological role. Others seemed to is protecting is where her father has been carrying out aquaculture
express intrinsic values by listing different species they know are for the last 20 years.
being protected in their PPA. For instance, ‘This place is one of the last
remaining cloud forests in the area, a place home to many endangered
species, many of which have not even been described by science. Here 3.6 | Relational values
we can see the howler monkey, seven species of endemic birds, wood-
tailed kite…’2 (Female landowner,
peckers, toucans, the swallow-­ Landowners described three types of relational values. First, most
38 years old). landowners described relationships with nature in the abstract.
For example, many spoke of care or love for the forest, landscape
or environment: ‘The forest is something that teaches me, inspires
3.5 | Instrumental values me… I'm happy when I'm in the forest3’ (Male landowner, 38 years
old). Second, many also spoke of relationships with animals and
Over half of landowners (62.5%, n = 20) mentioned instrumental val- plants, either individual (e.g. an old tree or a cow that comes fre-
ues when sharing their origin story and the reasons they decided to quently to visit their house) or species (e.g. spectacled bears or
engage and sustain their PPA (Figure 3). Categories of instrumen- macaws). Finally, many landowners discussed relationships with
tal values include aesthetics of the landscape (mentioned by three family members, either specific people or unnamed ancestors or
landowners), regulating ecosystem services (one landowner), provi- descendants (future generations). For instance, ‘Since our ances-
sioning ecosystem service of water supply (eight landowners), pro- tors, our grandparents, we have been protecting this area as a family.
ductive activities (i.e. agriculture, aquaculture and cattle ranching) However, due to terrorism [back in the 80s to mid-­90s] we lost an im-
portant part of the forest and now we mainly protect the watershed
1
‘En un viaje que hice a Brasil, donde vi tanta deforestación, me di cuenta de lo area… This place was owned by my great-­grandparents and grandpar-
importante que es proteger nuestros bosques…porque son importantes por sí mismos. ents, they left it to my father and his sister, and when my father passed
En ese viaje, aprendí lo importante que es valorar este lugar y proteger las especies que
lo habitan’. away, all 9 siblings decided to keep protecting this place. Our family
2
‘Este lugar es uno de los últimos bosques nubosos que quedan en la zona, es hogar de
muchas especies en peligro de extinción, muchas de las cuales ni siquiera han sido
descritas por la ciencia. Aquí podemos ver el mono aullador, siete especies de aves
3
endémicas, pájaros carpinteros, tucanes, el elanio tijereta…’. ‘El bosque es algo que me enseña, me inspira…soy feliz cuando estoy en el bosque’.
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8 LÓPEZ de la LAMA et al.

taught us not to cut down trees, rather to protect nature’4 (Male land- thirsty in the forest, you drink water from a branch or the creek, and it's
owner, 66 years old). ok. You don't get tired. You can rest whenever and wherever… my kids
All landowners (100%) expressed at least one type of relational also love it. Everyone likes it there really’7 (Male, 55 years old).
value, with an average of eight relational values mentioned by Finally, the third group is one that suggests social identity and a
each (see Table 2 for the full list of relational values). Fifteen types sense of community with nature. Expressed relational values that are
of relational values were featured in the interviews, which can be part of this group include identity, sense of community, family proj-
grouped further into three categories (Figure 4). The first group ect (the PPA is regarded as a project done together as a family), leg-
includes those relational values that evidence a personal connec- acy and heritage. This category shows the blurred boundaries
tion with nature. Here, the relationships of stewardship, responsi- between human and non-­human communities, with many landown-
bility, place attachment, sacrifice and spirituality are included. ers expressing the notion that all living beings are part of nature. The
This type of connection tends to be strong and long lasting, pro- following landowner shared his connectedness with animals through
viding valuable information on the reasons why landowners en- the following quote: ‘We are part of this project. We know we do this
gage in voluntary land conservation. For instance, the following because of our love for nature. It is a different type of feeling; we can
landowner expressed her sense of stewardship when sharing her even understand animal languages. This experience helps us to under-
family's conviction to restore their forest after it was harmed by stand why birds and animals behave the way they do. For us, animals
outsiders: ‘When people invaded our land, there was a tremendous express clearly what they need and want from the PPA8’ (Male, 50 years
deforestation of the area. But shortly after my dad started reforest- old).
ing… and now it is all forest again. Everything, where my father planted Overall, the most frequently expressed relational values by land-
trees, is now restored, and about 20 hectares have been recovered. owners were (1) stewardship, (2) responsibility, (3) care and love and
Today we are reforesting again, and nature is starting to heal in those (4) place attachment (Table 2). Landowners often expressed multiple
new places5’ (Female, 38 years old). relational values within the same quote. For instance, the following
The second group pertains to relationships that arise from feel- landowner shared how he came to be responsible for the land he is
ings expressed when in nature. These include the relational values of currently protecting. Here he expressed the relational values of awe
gratitude, love and care; pride and discovery; curiosity and learning; and wonder, care and love, heritage, as well as place attachment: ‘My
as well as awe and wonder. These feelings tend to emerge when mom, when I was about 15 years old, saw that I really liked this land. I
landowners remember their experiences or encounters when in na- was amazed when I saw a butterfly, a dragonfly, I liked it… even the ants,
ture. For instance, one of the female landowners shared her love for and bees, and all inspired a sense of awe in me. I loved coming here with
hummingbirds and how they make her feel happy and inspired every my mom and living here with my four brothers. One day she brought me
time she sees one: ‘I die for hummingbirds. When I see one, I cry! For here and told me: Look, son, I want you to protect this land. I will leave it
me, hummingbirds are the best. I love when they come to say hi to me. So to you but never sell it. I want this to be yours for all your life. After she
now I have made a small terrace next to my office, so every time one told me that, I thanked her 9’ (Male, 60 years old).
comes by, I can see it while working. For me hummingbirds represent
love, they are God's messengers of love’6 (Female, 50 years old).
Another landowner expressed his gratitude to be able to experience 4 | DISCUSSION
nature so closely and frequently within his PPA: ‘It is a wonderful ex-
perience. The other day I went walking for 5 hours – I went up and down This paper expands the understanding of PPAs by shedding light
the mountain, and when I reached the tree that I was looking for, it was on less-­explored reasons that encourage and sustain landowners'
like I had not walked at all! I had no fatigue or tiredness. I'm 55 years old, participation in voluntary land conservation. In particular, this is
I have broken my leg once, and it was like that didn't matter. If you are achieved through narrative elicitation, which allowed us to uncover

7
‘Es algo lindo, el otro día que me he ido, he caminado 5 horas, he caminado, subido,
bajado el cerro y cuando he llegado al sitio pareciera que no hubiera caminado, no tenía
4
‘Desde nuestros ancestros, nuestros abuelos, hemos estado protegiendo esta área cansancio no tenía nada. Yo tengo 55 años, me he roto la pierna, tengo clavos en la pierna
como familia. Sin embargo, debido al terrorismo perdimos una parte importante del y normal. Tú vas a un sitio y tomas agua normal nomas, si tienes sed y arrancas una soga
bosque y ahora principalmente protegemos la zona de la cuenca… Este lugar pertenecía a de una de gato y te viene el agua, te tomas el agua y rico y te vas. Así es. No te cansas. Te
mis bisabuelos y abuelos, ellos se lo dejaron a mi padre y a su hermana, y cuando mi sientas en un sitio, arrancas tus hojas y descansas… y a mis hijos también les encanta…
padre falleció, los 9 hermanos decidimos seguir protegiendo este lugar. Nuestra familia todo es lindo, a todos les gusta’.
8
nos enseñó a no cortar árboles, sino a proteger la naturaleza’. ‘Somos parte de este proyecto, sabes que lo que hacemos lo hacemos por amor a la
5
‘Cuando fue la invasión hubo una deforestación tremenda del área, pero en esos naturaleza, es otro tipo de sentimientos cuando nos involucramos con la naturaleza,
tiempos, ya pasados, mi papá me enseña todo lo que cortaron para invadir, y ahora es hasta podemos entender el lenguaje de los animalitos, esta experiencia nos permite, nos
bosque. Entonces se restauró todo, alguna parte que mi papá también trabajó, no muy ayuda, a entender el comportamiento de las aves, los animales…a los animalitos solo les
bien zonificadas, ahora están en recuperación, tenemos bastante por lo menos unas 20 falta hablar, porque podemos comunicarnos los unos con los otros’.
9
hectáreas en recuperación, y está ahí recuperándose naturalmente también’. ‘Cuando tenía 15 años mi mamá vio que a mí me gustaba mucho el terreno, a mi
6
‘Muero por los colibrís. Cuando veo un colibrí, lloro. Me encanta verlos cuando vienen y asombraba ver una mariposa, una libélula, me gustaba…hasta las hormigas, las abejas, y
me dicen hola. He hecho mi oficina en mi terraza, he recuperado unos espacios, y he todo para mí era un asombro. Y me encantaba, disfrutaba viendo aquí con mi mamá y
sembrado aquí al costado para verlos mientras trabajo. Entonces sí los colibríes, además vivir con mis cuatro hermanos. Así que me dijo, hijo sabes que, me llevó al lugar y me dijo,
de hermosos, son transmisores de buenas noticias, de mensajes de amor. Para mí son mira quiero que lo conserves. Te lo voy a dar a ti, pero nunca lo vendas. Quiero que esto
enviados de Dios’. sea algo para toda la vida, y le dije gracias, mamá’.
TA B L E 2 Compendium of relational values expressed by landowners.

Relational values Definitions Category Quotes Percentage (%)

Stewardship Entails a practice of protection/ Personal connection Where there is a tree missing, I will plant two or three. My goal has always been to 84%
restoration that is an expression of with nature reforest. Reforest my small property with native species. I don't like species like pine
care and concern for the land and its trees as they are not from here. Native trees are so beautiful, that as I have the chance
species to reforest with them, I will carry on. Even more, I only feel at ease after I have planted
LÓPEZ de la LAMA et al.

a couple of trees by the end of the day (Male, 64 years)


Responsibility Ascription of responsibility. Commitment Personal connection I have received many threats by people that know me…and they also know my father, 81%
to protect the land and carry on with nature mainly because I went to the police to denounce them as they were burning the forest.
despite challenges The forest kept burning for like a month. I swear that it hurt me so much to see how
the forest burnt, and I told them not to do it again, but they didn't listen to me. So, I
brought the prosecutors here, and luckily, they explained to them that it is a felony to
burn the forest. However, people don't like me because of that. Nonetheless, we keep
protecting the forest (Female, 38 years)
Care & love Strong emotional bond with nature Feelings when in When I see my neighbors deforesting, and you see that every year that road that we use 78%
and its species. Expressed either nature for getting to the area has less and less forest cover … you do not have to be the most
positively or negatively hippie in the world to feel sorry for what a second ago, weeks ago was forest and
now is burning. Then, you see that they have planted papaya, you see that they are
fumigating x2 per week, you see the degradation of the soil… For me, it is something
that I feel personally… (Male, 38 years)
Sense of place Connection to the land, personal ties Personal connection Most of the dry forests of Peru are degraded, it is quite dramatic. I'm from here, and my 66%
with place. Self-­identification with with nature habitat is the dry forest really, although I like all nature, I'm from here and I have always
the land they are protecting enjoyed the dry forest. So, I told myself that something needed to be done in order to
help its conservation (Male, 74 years)
Gratitude of being in Positive emotions and feelings when in Feelings when in It is so comforting to be in there (the forest). For me it is a joy, a gift to be able to 63%
nature, personal nature, thankful for being able to live nature experience God's creation so up close. To know that we are protecting such an
fulfilment within nature important landscape that gives us clean oxygen, day by day, it is something that
continues to astonish me and fills me with energy to carry one (Male, 51 years)
Pride and discovery Being proud about their land and what it Feelings when in When I got back here, the first thing that I did was to buy the land that was completely 53%
holds (e.g. endemic species, species nature degraded. Before us, it was used as a place to grow coca. So, to see it today, what we
new to science). Excited and willing to have managed to accomplish, it is enough reason to make us proud (Female, 49 years)
share their land with more people
Legacy Contribution for posterity. A mission that Social identity With our current political scenario…I'm not sure what I'm leaving my kids with, I hope that 53%
needs to continue even after they are and sense of they are still able to protect and restore the land, fight for it. I also want for them to
gone, usually passed to their children community keep up with reforestation, it is important that we have more aguajales here. Also, little
or grandchildren people know about this place, I know it well as I have been working on it for a while…so
I really hope that they are able to keep protecting it (Male, 52 years)
Awe & wonder Fascination and admiration for nature or Feelings when in I have found some amazing things in the PPA. Once we found a green worm that had 53%
non-­human beings. An experience nature like a peacock tail, simply incredible! There is even a tree that we managed to rescue,
that goes beyond them because it was a bit sick, and that is a tree that lights up at night. It is like you are
watching the Avatar movie. Spider webs, red and orange, coming out of it from
everywhere, making like a fabric of different colors, it is just amazing to watch (Female,
55 years)
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(Continues)

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10

TA B L E 2 (Continued)
|

Relational values Definitions Category Quotes Percentage (%)

Curiosity and learning Desire to learn more about an ecosystem Feelings when in When scientists from Edinburgh's botanical garden came to the PPA, they found a plant 47%
or species, related to scientific nature that has orange flowers. When they first saw it, they drop their things and went
research. Excitement for being able to running towards it. I did not realize what was going on at the moment, but then I asked
experience nature them. Apparently, it is a plant that its last scientific registry is from 1912 by a German
botanist that came to this area. These scientists were so excited to realize that the tree
was not extinct…which was the idea until then. Luckily, there is a whole bunch of them
here! (Male, 57 years)
Family project An existing project or new venture that is Social identity It is hard to do a family project. We are committed, as my mom said, to make it work as 41%
done jointly with family members and sense of a family. However, how do we ensure that our efforts are long lasting? We need to
community have a business approach so we can make sure that our efforts are sustainable. We do
have some business people in the family, but we are also ecologists at heart (Female,
46 years)
Identity A sense of belonging, relationships that Social identity The nogal (a species of tree) is one of the species that we are lucky enough to have in our 34%
shape who they are or where they and sense of land, and I strongly identified with it. We even wanted to do a research project on it
belong to community but couldn't get the funds in the end (Male, 60 years)
Sacrifice Forego of a potential benefit (either Personal connection Of course, we will keep on protecting this land! Some friends tell me that if I sold the land, 34%
material or non-­material) in benefit of with nature I would be the richest man here. We have a huge sand bank that would sell so fast, and
nature conservation surely it would be enough money for me and my children to live off. It would solve all
of my troubles…However, it is not up for sale (Male, 46 years)
Heritage A mission trusted to them by their Social identity For me, all the forest is wonderful. I have lived there since I was born and every sound, 31%
ancestors / family members. and sense of every bird song, is simply…well, my father was a taxidermist. His collections are in
Important past events that are community the biggest museums of the world. So, since I am able to remember, I have been lucky
reminded through the land they are enough to follow his footsteps. He would let me go to the forest with him, get to know
protecting the sounds of birds, experience nature, be in nature. Thus, for me every time I'm in the
forest, is like a reunion with nature and with him (Male, 60 years)
Spirituality Nurtures the spirit, allows land managers Personal connection Since that time, nature has nurtured my soul thanks to its mysticism. Since I was a kid, I 22%
to feel closer to God or divine forces. with nature have spoken with nature thanks to its energy. For me, I saw energy fields that a regular
Spiritual peace person cannot see. As a child, I realized that nature has its own language and we need
to protect it, because that's how it expresses itself (Female, 61 years)
Being part of a Seeing their land as home to other living Social identity We should always think that we are guests in this land, and that we need to co-­exist with 19%
biological beings, sharing a sense of place with and sense of the real owners, the animals. However, people don't think like that, they don't care.
community them community So, we try to teach people, but it's difficult. We see animals as our teachers for our
ecosystem restoration projects, as they tell us what do they like and works for them.
Every day is a learning experience, and you need to speak the same language as nature
to be able to work with it, no? (Male, 55 years)

Note: Each relational value is defined based on landowners' answers, for which a quote is used as an example. The percentage of landowners that expressed each relational value is shown in the table.
LÓPEZ de la LAMA et al.

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LÓPEZ de la LAMA et al. 11

F I G U R E 4 Categorization of relational
values as expressed by landowners.

multiple values that landowners ascribe to nature. By setting up In contrast to state-­led protected areas, which can be perceived
PPAs, landowners aim to protect and maintain the diverse values as external impositions (Serenari et al., 2017), PPAs in Peru embody
they hold regarding nature and other living beings, with relational the local vision for conservation. The diverse stewardship practices
values being particularly prominent. These findings suggest that implemented by landowners within their PPAs reflect a deep-­seated
PPAs are more than just conservation efforts; they are long-­term respect for nature, their families and all beings on their land (López
commitments embedded in landowners' connections to the land and de la Lama et al., in prep.). While our research sheds light on the di-
their ancestors. This relational perspective shows the intricate bonds verse values motivating landowners to voluntarily protect their land,
between people and nature, providing a nuanced understanding of it also raises questions about their pursuit of official recognition
the historical intricacies surrounding PPAs' establishment and on- through a PPA. The motivations for seeking this formal acknowl-
going management. Although landowners also express intrinsic and edgement are complex and merit further investigation.
instrumental values, relational values are the ones most frequently
and richly described. We will delve deeper into these observations
in the following paragraphs. 4.2 | Exploring the value-­laden dimensions of
voluntary land conservation through narrative
elicitation
4.1 | PPAs as initiatives led by local people
Why are people setting up PPAs? Why do they persist despite a lack
We consider it important to reflect on the fact that a large fraction of support and hardships? These are perhaps the main questions that
of PPAs in Peru are managed by local landowners themselves. The academics and practitioners strive to elucidate within the context
prevailing representation in literature and media portrays landown- of voluntary land conservation (Merenlender et al., 2004; Mitchell
ers of PPAs as predominantly affluent, often foreign individuals, et al., 2018). Private land conservation literature has mainly followed
potentially engaging in land-­grabbing activities (Gooden & ‘t Sas-­ a motivational lens, which is one way of looking at reasons people
Rolfes, 2020; Holmes, 2014; Louder & Bosak, 2019). Such depictions might have for engagement and commitment (Brenner et al., 2013;
are common in studies of PPAs in regions like Chile, South Africa and Cooke et al., 2012; Gooden & Grenyer, 2019). Past research on mo-
Canada (Clements et al., 2020; Gooden, 2019; Serenari et al., 2017). tivations has produced a surface-­level understanding of why land-
Contrary to this, our research indicates that is not the case for Peru. owners set up PPAs.
Landowners involved in our study were predominantly local, middle-­ Narrative elicitation has proven to be helpful for understanding
income individuals, managing small-­scale PPAs, with a strong sense less-­explored reasons that engage and sustain people's efforts per-
of personal and ancestral connection to the land. taining to voluntary land conservation. When we asked open-­ended
This finding underscores the role of intrinsic motivation in the questions about relationships with the land, this produced rich nar-
establishment and management of PPAs. In the Peruvian context, ratives into the deeper underlying values and rationales (Chapman
where the government offers no incentives or support for PPAs, et al., 2019; Fish et al., 2022; Gould & Schultz, 2021). By allowing
landowners' commitment is driven primarily by a desire to conserve, landowners to share their personal stories and experiences, multi-
nurture and foster deep connections with their land. Despite its im- ple types of values that co-­occurred with each other emerged in a
portance, this aspect of PPAs has been insufficiently explored in ac- cohesive way.
ademic literature and lacks adequate governmental focus (Bingham A focus on relationships reveals a common co-­occurrence of
et al., 2021; Cortés-­C apano et al., 2019; Palfrey et al., 2021). intrinsic, instrumental and relational values, which is crucial for a
Addressing this gap is particularly critical in the context of meet- holistic understanding of voluntary land conservation. In this study,
ing global conservation goals, such as the 30 × 30 targets set by the intrinsic and instrumental values were expressed by most land-
Convention on Biological Conservation in 2022. Empowering local owners (80% and 62.5%, respectively), while all landowners spoke
communities and individuals in conservation efforts through PPAs is of multiple kinds of relational values (on average, each landowner
essential to achieving these ambitious goals. expressed eight relational values). As previously identified in the
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12 LÓPEZ de la LAMA et al.

literature, intrinsic values pertain to nature's inherent worth or actions (Drescher, 2014; Gill et al., 2010). Therefore, if landowners
right to exist, independent of its worth to people (Arias-­Arévalo fail to fulfil their duties pertaining to the PPA, they might perceive
et al., 2017; Pascual et al., 2017). For instance, when landowners that the relationships they strive to protect and restore within the
articulated intrinsic values about the species they are protecting, PPA are jeopardized.
this was often expressed together with awe and wonder, as well as Landowners have had frequent encounters and meaningful
pride and discovery. On the other hand, instrumental values per- experiences that might explain the diversity and dynamism of re-
tain to the provision and protection of ecosystem services. When lational values. Local landowners (63% of all participants) have a his-
landowners mentioned instrumental values, these were almost im- torical relationship with the land, which on average started 30 years
mediately followed by relational statements that brought the focus before making it a PPA. For those who are migrants or foreigners
back to the different relationships between nature and landown- (37% of all participants), the PPA represents their home or a place
ers enabled by ecosystem services or productive activities that are they can access quite easily and quickly, which encourages multiple
carried out within the PPA (Knippenberg et al., 2018). Recognizing encounters and experiences within the PPA. Both scenarios foster
that all three categories of values stem from human relationships direct and reciprocal experiences with and within nature, which en-
with nature helps explain the difficulty of drawing clear boundaries able relationships such as those of stewardship, responsibility, love
between those different values (Kreitzman et al., 2022). Therefore, and care and place attachment (Drescher, 2014; Turner et al., 2022;
separating the intrinsic or instrumental values from the meaningful West et al., 2018).
relationships that all landowners expressed would be problematic. Our focus on landowners' relationships portrays PPAs as the
Without understanding the interwoven nature of these three cat- mechanism through which landowners aim to protect and restore
egories of values, it would seem impossible to make sense of why long-­term and meaningful relationships that they hold dear. Hence,
landowners perceive the intrinsic and instrumental values that they rather than presenting PPAs as individual action that requires in-
do. centives for landowners to remain engaged in conservation or
stewardship behaviours, here we present PPAs as the outcome of
landowners' long-­term commitment to protecting their land and re-
4.3 | The diversity of relational values surpasses lated values. The strength of various motivations, of course, might
intrinsic and instrumental values differ substantially across contexts and thus should be explored
further.
The identification of different types of relational values uncovered
meaningful and complex relationships. For instance, landowners
acknowledged relationships that span generations and the bounda- 4.4 | Limitations
ries of their land, including both human and non-­human beings that
are deeply meaningful to them (Chapman et al., 2019; Kreitzman The current study presents some limitations that are key to ac-
et al., 2022; Matilainen et al., 2019). Further, in contrast to both knowledge. First, interviews were conducted remotely due to the
instrumental and intrinsic values, which force a separation of the COVID-­19 pandemic. In situ interviews might expand the under-
subject and object of values, relational values were sometimes ex- standing of landowners and how they relate to the land they are pro-
pressed in ways that entangled self, family, wildlife and plants, na- tecting. Second, landowners who own a PPA in Peru as an individual
ture and the land. This entanglement is evident when landowners or family are a relatively homogeneous group in terms of their socio-
expressed multiple relational values within the same quote. As such, economic status (as discussed in Monteferri, 2019). Thus, although
landowners express blurred boundaries between themselves and we managed to interview 43% of all landowners that manage a PPA
non-­human beings within nature, shedding light on a different type as individuals or as a family, this group might be different from land-
of understanding about how humans are responsible and account- owners in other countries. Hence, the set of values identified here
able to nature (Descola & Lloyd, 2013; Turner et al., 2022). could be different from potentially other values expressed by a dif-
Relational values can evolve and enable further relationships that ferent profile of landowner elsewhere. Finally, it is important to note
could explain landowners' long-­term commitment to the PPA. Some that this paper specifically focuses on instrumental, intrinsic and re-
of the meaningful relationships identified here preceded the cre- lational values, as these are the types of values currently recognized
ation of the PPA, while others emerged after the PPA was created. at the international and policy decision-­making levels (IPBES, 2022).
The capacity of relational values to evolve and enable new relation-
ships with the same or different meaningful others implies an expan-
sion of the responsibilities that landowners take on through the PPA 5 | CO N C LU S I O N S
(Chapman et al., 2019; Jones & Tobin, 2018; Kreitzman et al., 2022;
Riechers et al., 2020). The diversity of responsibilities that landown- Voluntary land conservation, explored here through PPAs, repre-
ers assume pertaining to their families, wildlife and plants, as well as sents a complex and relational phenomenon that facilitates valu-
nature encompassed within the PPA implies they feel accountable able interactions with nature (Gilliand, 2021). Landowners in Peru
not only to themselves but to all those who would benefit from their involved in these initiatives do more than just commit to short-­term
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LÓPEZ de la LAMA et al. 13

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Santiago de la Puente https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6189-9596 R., López de la Lama, R., Sevillano-­Ríos, C. S., & Sarmiento, F. (2021).
Kai M. A. Chan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7804-3276 Efectividad de áreas de conservación privada comunal en bosques
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