The World’s Best Forest Guardians: Indigenous Peoples
Indigenous peoples and local communities have an unsurpassed connection to the Earth's forests. ... Continue Reading
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Indigenous people have lived from the forest since time immemorial, using its resources sparingly and carefully so that it might continue to produce its riches. What the Rainforest Alliance brings to this age-old model are the tools and support to make it economically viable in today’s world. We connect local and indigenous communities with markets, provide technical and business support, and work to improve human well-being—all while conserving the forest.
This page features information about the Rainforest Alliance's work to promote community forestry and links to all our related content and resources.
Working with forest communities, governments, companies, and civil society organizations, we promote more sustainable forest management practices throughout the tropics. We provide training, tools, and knowledge to communities; promote youth inclusion and gender equality; work to increase forest cover, biodiversity, and carbon capture; promote secured rights to forests; and provide access to alliances, finance, and markets, so that forest communities—and forests—may thrive.
This paper outlines our principles and strategies for stopping forest degradation and supporting forest communities in vulnerable tropical regions.
Our Kleinhans Fellowship supports research that seeks solutions to the challenges faced by the community forestry model.
Our Forest Allies initiative leverages the enormous power of our partnerships to support forest communities as they address the climate crisis and combat deforestation.
This paper summarizes our lessons learnt from twenty years of global experience in community forestry.
Indigenous peoples and local communities have an unsurpassed connection to the Earth's forests. ... Continue Reading
The forest concessions of the Maya Biosphere Reserve have boasted a near-zero deforestation rate for 20 years.... Continue Reading
Sitting in the heart of the Congo Basin, the 36,000 square kilometer Salonga National Park (SNP) is the largest protected area of dense rainforest on the African continent.... Continue Reading
We are working to grow Mexico’s domestic market for sustainably produced products.... Continue Reading
We're working to build responsible natural rubber supply chains.... Continue Reading
In the Mesoamerican region, the Rainforest Alliance develops projects that promote the production and sale of sustainable products from the forest and agricultural activities, integrating men and women into productive activities for the generation of economic, social, and environmental benefits. Its main objective is to increase the competitiveness, sustainability, and access to markets of agricultural […]
A jointly owned carpentry center transforms sustainable wood into fine wood products.... Continue Reading
An innovative new project puts indigenous and local communities in the driver's seat. ... Continue Reading
We’re implementing climate-smart farming practices and building competitive, profitable businesses.... Continue Reading
After decades of struggle for land rights, Peru’s indigenous communities now own approximately 15 million hectares of the country’s roughly 70 million hectares of mega-diverse Amazon forestlands. While securing rights is a key first step, tenure alone will not keep forests standing. Growing global demand for gold, petroleum, cocoa, timber, and oil palm is causing widespread deforestation and environmental degradation in indigenous territories. Expansion of these industries–typically without...... Continue Reading