Ep 85. Mauricio Kusanovic - Patagonia Beyond the Postcard

What does it take to balance tourism growth, conservation, and community pride in one of the world’s last truly wild places? In this episode, we travel to Chilean Patagonia with Mauricio Kusanovic, a tourism and conservation leader based in Puerto Natales, and the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park. Mauricio shares a personal and professional perspective on how his family’s legacy, rooted in cattle ranching, estancias, and early tourism, has evolved into a model that connects regenerative farming, conservation funding, and culinary identity. We explore how Puerto Natales gained international recognition for its food culture, why Patagonian lamb and cold-water seafood matter, and how gastronomy helps protect land, wildlife, and local livelihoods. Mauricio also reflects on lessons learned and why better tourism, not more tourism, is essential for sensitive destinations. This conversation offers insight into destination governance, sustainable growth, and how food can express culture while supporting conservation in a place often called the end of the world, or as locals say, where everything begins.

Taste of Place · Erik Wolf, Mauricio Kusanovic