Global pressure on ayahuasca threatens Amazonian plants and knowledge systems
June 23, 2026 Carlos Minuano
Benki Piyãko, an Ashaninka leader in the Brazilian state of Acre, warns that the Amazon rainforest, which he calls one of the world's largest pharmacies, is being destroyed. This statement highlights multiple threats to the Amazon and underscores a growing debate about ayahuasca, an Indigenous psychedelic beverage considered a forest medicine.