Late in March, news that a parachutist had scattered 100 million seeds over a destroyed forest area of the Brazilian Amazon did the rounds on social media. The plane jumper was the internationally renowned Luigi Cani, who carried out the apparent feat in partnership with carmaker Audi and investment bank BTG Pactual. “Spectacular!!! A dream for all of us who love nature,” one Instagram user commented on a video Mr. Cani posted of a biodegradable seedbox floating above the Amazon rainforest.
Environmental experts, however, slammed the initiative as nothing more than a greenwashing publicity stunt. “This is marketing, not...