n a corner of northwestern El Salvador -- a country where bad management and civil strife have left less than nine percent of the natural forest still standing -- coffee farmers from the Ciudad Barrios cooperative are planting tens of thousands of trees and once again making their lands safe for the armadillos and birds that once frequented the hillsides. Children, who until recently attended classes in a two-room shanty without running water, now sit in a modern building. And community members receive medical treatment at a new clinic.

hroughout Latin America and Africa, nearly two million farmers and their families are protecting forest lands, wildlife habitat, soils and waterways, thanks to the work of the Rainforest Alliance. We are also helping these farmers to earn decent wages, live in respectable housing and ensure that their children have access to schools and healthcare.