South America

Home to the Amazon, the World’s Largest Forest

What's at Stake

Spanning nine South American countries and 7 million sq km (2.7 million square miles), the Amazon is the world’s largest forest and is home to more than 120 indigenous groups and one in 10 known species. One-fifth of all freshwater on the planet originates in the Amazon Basin. Unparalleled in its biodiversity, the Amazon is also critical to global climate stability.

DEFORESTATION IN THE AMAZON

Humans have razed some 20 percent of the Amazon rainforest over the last 40 years alone, and an additional 20 percent is at risk of being destroyed—a potentially catastrophic loss that would cause this vital ecosystem to unravel. Read our response to the forest fire crisis in the Amazon.

Our Impact

The most important impact of our work in high-risk regions of the Amazon—self-determination—is not quantifiable. However, we continually gauge the success of our approach by measuring both ecosystem health and the economic and social well-being of our partner communities.

A sustainable, thriving forest economy

USD $31 million

in Brazil nuts exported from Madre de Dios, Peru

After working with the Rainforest Alliance for four years, communities in the Madre de Dios region of the Peruvian Amazon exported more than 4,000 metric tons of shelled Brazil nuts, representing a value of nearly US $31 million. Read the study

Our reach in South America

18 million acres

under sustainable management in South America

We’re working with forest communities, farmers, governments, and companies to conserve the Amazon Basin and protect its precious biodiversity. Together with our partners, we’ve brought 18 million acres (7.3 million hectares) under sustainable management.

This number includes Rainforest Alliance Certified agricultural land and FSC certified forest land, including land certified by our Brazilian partner, Imaflora. Data accurate as of March 21, 2018.

Our Work

Stopping deforestation in the Amazon requires bold, multi-faceted strategies that center indigenous forest communities and support their self-determination. This approach characterizes our work in the Amazon, where we work with a wide range of communities and partners to cultivate a sustainable forest economy.

All resources for South America

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Latin America: Markets for prosperous communities and healthy forests

Where rural communities thrive, nature does too. Our vision for 2030 is that more than 3 million producers, workers, and their family members will live better—all by conserving and managing more than 25 million hectares through improved sustainable land management practices. Download this brochure to learn how we plan to achieve our goals for the […]

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August 31, 2021

Guía Educativa del Manejo Forestal Sostenible

Esta guía educativa gratuita ayudara a sus estudiantes a explorar el manejo sostenible de los bosques y su papel en el desarrollo comunitario, usando los ecosistemas únicos de la Península Yucatán, México como ejemplo. Los materiales abordan los componentes principales para comprender el manejo sostenible de los bosques y la cadena de valor de productos […]

Curricula
December 23, 2020

Política de Auditoria para Niveles de Mejora Contínua

Considerando que Rainforest Alliance viene haciendo esfuerzos continuos para adaptar sus actuales programas a las realidades locales y considerar los ambientes de viabilidad técnica y legales que críticamente influencian en el cumplimiento de criterios de la Norma de Agricultura Sostenible de Rainforest Alliance 2017, se establece esta política, aplicable para café, banano y flores en […]

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October 19, 2020