In 2021, a herd of 15 elephants left the boundaries of the Xishuangbanna Nature Reserve in south western China and, for reasons that scientists are still trying to understand, began walking north west. Their journey was quickly noticed, and soon the elephants became an online sensation, with hundreds of thousands of people following their movement.
Interest grew even more when something curious was noticed. Their route seemed to be heading towards Kunming, the city that was due to host COP15, the United Nations meeting on biodiversity. This was clearly a coincidence, but for many people it felt symbolic: a journey by an endangered species towards the very place where humanity was meant to be discussing how to protect it.
There has long been debate about how best to protect nature. This is also an important focus for Fondazione Capellino, which owns the Almo Nature brand and uses its net profits to fund biodiversity projects. Some believe the answer lies in technology, from genetically modified crops that are more resilient to climate engineering that could slow climate change. Others focus on different farming methods, or on programmes to protect and monitor endangered species.
Different approaches can work together, and there is no single solution to the biodiversity crisis. But one idea stands out for its simplicity and boldness: what if we simply gave nature more space?
This question has deep roots. Since the start of the industrial age, almost everything linked to human activity has grown, including population, life expectancy, resource use, land use, and greenhouse gas emissions. As humanity has expanded, nature has steadily lost space. To give a sense of scale, species are now disappearing at a rate estimated to be 100 to 1000 times higher than natural background levels, and the United Nations has warned that around 1 million species are currently at risk of extinction.
This is why restoring space for wild nature has become so important. It is not just an idea. It is already being studied and applied. In 2022, at the 15th United Nations Conference on Biodiversity in Montreal, countries agreed to a global goal of protecting 30% of land and seas by 2030. This is often referred to as 30 by 30. The elephants of Xishuangbanna were already on their journey when these discussions were taking place, even though the conference had moved from Kunming to Montreal due to the pandemic.
Even so, many scientists and conservationists argue that current commitments are not enough. A key moment in this debate came in 2016 with the publication of Half Earth: Our Planet’s Fight for Life by the biologist Edward O. Wilson. His idea was simple but radical: dedicate half of the Earth’s surface to wild nature. He argued that one of the most important actions humans can take is to step back, allowing ecosystems to recover when given enough space to do so.
This idea changed how many people think about conservation. For Fondazione Capellino, it is also an important reference point. Its Reintegration Economy model uses the profits of private companies, in this case the pet food brand Almo Nature, to support projects that restore space and opportunity for biodiversity. This is done through the Capellino Foundation, which fully owns Almo Nature.
Through this approach, funding has supported research on climate solutions in countries such as Italy and Spain, projects to create wildlife corridors in places including Germany, Canada, and Tanzania, and initiatives focused on protecting endangered species. It has also supported work in sustainable farming and beekeeping, particularly in Italy.
The elephants of Xishuangbanna could not have known it, but they have come to symbolise a wider need for stronger action to protect nature. Ideas such as those proposed by Edward O. Wilson continue to shape this discussion.
Fondazione Capellino does not have the power to set aside half of the planet for wild nature. But it does aim, in its own way, to move in that direction, by helping to restore space for nature wherever it can.
