Global pressure on ayahuasca threatens Amazonian plants and knowledge systems
June 23, 2026 DOI: 10.66709/news-321692 via OpenAlex
Summary
The Amazon rainforest, known for its rich biodiversity and traditional medicines, faces significant threats. Benki Piyãko, an Ashaninka Indigenous leader, highlights the urgent need to address these challenges while emphasizing the importance of ayahuasca, a traditional beverage with psychedelic properties. The discussion reflects broader concerns about environmental protection and the preservation of Indigenous knowledge in the face of ongoing destruction.
Study at a glance
| Population | Indigenous people of the Ashaninka community in Brazil |
|---|---|
| Key finding | The Amazon rainforest is under threat, prompting discussions about the significance of ayahuasca as a forest medicine. |
Abstract
“One of the world’s largest pharmacies is being destroyed,” says Benki Piyãko, a leader of the Ashaninka Indigenous people in the Brazilian state of Acre. The warning points to multiple threats advancing on the Amazon but also to growing debate surrounding one of the so-called forest medicines: ayahuasca. This Indigenous beverage with psychedelic properties is […]