LandVest is delighted to have the opportunity to work with Matías Rivera, Patagonia Sur’s General Manager, as our partner in the Patagonia Sur Portfolio. Matías has been recognized as one of Chile’s 100 young leaders by the Chilean nationwide newspaper El Mercurio, as one of the 30 faces of new power in Chile by Capital Magazine, and was selected by as one of Chile’s successful young leaders by Diario Financiero.
•LandVest: Matías, what motivated you to get involved with the Patagonia Sur project?
Matías Rivera: Patagonia Sur is a unique project in Chile and globally, and since I first learned about it I was strongly drawn by its vision of combining the conservation of pristine ecosystems with the development of sustainable businesses, which generate returns and allow to expand the model and protect an even larger expanse of land.
I was previously Innovation Advisor to Chile’s Minister of Economy, and from that position had the opportunity to work with and learn about the country’s most innovative and interesting projects. Of these, Patagonia Sur stood out as a great example of a model that combines profit with a deeper mission of sustainable development, and I was thrilled by the opportunity to join this company and help bring the vision to reality.
•LV: What does sustainable development mean in the context of landscape, and even ecosystem scale projects? Could you highlight some concrete examples within Patagonia Sur portfolio?
MR: My preferred definition of sustainable development is by the Brundtland Commission: “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” In terms of our work in Patagonia, I understand sustainable development as the balance between generating economic development and job-creation, while at the same time protecting the unique ecosystems and natural beauty of the locations where we work. We have been able to succeed in this through sustainable businesses such as eco-tourism, carbon offsets through native-species reforestation, and the unique conservation real estate projects we have created in Valle California, Melimoyu and Lago Espolón.
•LV: Patagonia Sur is establishing a unique community of property owners in Patagonia. What kinds of people are attracted to the Patagonia Sur concept and properties?
MR:The kind of project we are pioneering in Patagonia, which combines the conservation of pristine ecosystems with the possibility of a small group of families owning a property and house in this private reserve has generated a large amount of interest both in Chile and abroad. Families that have a strong appreciation of nature and the outdoors find in our projects the perfect retreat for their holidays, or even somewhere to spend large parts of the year. Through our model we are able to offer land buyers the chance to enjoy a complete ecosystem without the need to purchase all of the land, and also sharing administration expenses, which is a value proposition people interested in owning land in Patagonia have found very appealing.
Stay tuned for Part II of our interview with Matías. In the meantime, please check out the Patagonia Sur Portfolio and our tourism site, the Patagonia Sur Reserves.
Want to know more?
Contact Ruth Kennedy Sudduth at 617-357-0455 or rsudduth@landvest.com.
