Forest Trends works closely with Latin American indigenous peoples and other traditional communities who are choosing to use outside markets as a vehicle to help conserve their forests, support their cultures and improve their livelihoods. We support these communities with technical resources, guidance, and connections that can help them secure these new economic opportunities, reaffirm their rights, and honor their cultural heritage.

Forest Trends assumes a supporting role in this process, forming long-term collaborative relationships with communities as they articulate their vision a life that has a minimal footprint on their environment and make use of markets to realize that vision.

  • We partner with organizations like the IKEA Foundation, USAID, and Good Energies, among others to support sustainable economic opportunities in the Amazon In Brazil, the Yawanawa and Surui tribes are empowering women and young people through artisan cooperatives and other entrepreneurial enterprises.
  • We provide technical assistance for sustainable forest management and conservation at the community level that promotes health care, food security, and economic self-reliance. One example are indigenous “Living Pharmacies” for cultivating medicinal plants. These efforts offer communities a powerful tool to bolster food security, nutrition, climate resilience, family income, and skills training for youth.
  • Our capacity-building work not only helps indigenous communities strengthen their ability to secure and manage their lands; it also puts them in a position to effectively participate in and benefit from conservation mechanisms like the UN program REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) and other forest and climate conservation mechanisms.
  • Our Cultural Mediators, Territorial Governance, and Indigenous Territories with zero/minimal Deforestation programs are additional ways in which we are working with indigenous and traditional communities to support their rights and assist in the conservation of their forests and improved livelihoods.