According to the passage, there has been a great deal of economic interest in the Amazon basin .

The Amazon basin is a huge area in Brazil. It
has always attracted businessmen on account of
its valuable and rich resources such as rubber,
coffee and cocoa. However, it is not easy to
make money by starting an enterprise there. As
the Brazilians say, “If you want to succeed, you
must believe in the Amazon, and you must be
young” Many rich men, including Henry Ford,
have poured money into the area and gone
away with nothing.