First to third nature: the rise of capitalist conservation on Palawan Island, the Philippines

Capitalist conservation is accelerating agrarian change and commodifying nature at the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. The study reveals how translocal capitalist pressures revalue rural lands and ecosystems as marketable assets to finance development, transforming shared resources into capital under the guise of conservation. Using the concepts of 'first' and 'third nature,' it demonstrates that resource partitioning, objectification, and commodification have intensified differentiation among rural communities, driven by private investments that align with modern Philippine ideals. While this process revalues nature in market terms, its effects remain recursive and context-dependent, blending conservation and development in partial ways.

Dressler, W. H. (2011). First to third nature: the rise of capitalist conservation on Palawan Island, the Philippines. Journal of Peasant Studies, 38(3), 533–557. https://doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2011.582580