Forests

Our Very Lives Depend on Them

What's at Stake

Forests are critical to the survival of every living thing on Earth. Forests clean the air, regulate weather, absorb greenhouse gas emissions, and stabilize the climate—both global and local. Not to mention, forests provide habitat for 80 percent of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity and livelihoods for 1.6 billion people.

Strong Forests and Healthy Communities

Many communities have revered their ancestral forest homes for centuries, recognizing how forests provide people with livelihoods, shelter, and medicine. The cycle of poverty and deforestation harms critically important ecosystems and imperils the vast scientific knowledge, traditions, and languages of forest communities. Strong forests and vibrant communities cannot exist without each other.

Forests Support an Earth Rebalanced

Forests are ecological powerhouses. Not only do they stabilize global climate patterns, they also support healthy micro-climates and limit the earth’s reflectivity. This in turn regulates ocean currents, wind patterns, and rainfall. As home to 80 percent of the world's terrestrial biodiversity, forests are crucial to maintaining the balance of marvelously efficient—yet delicate—ecosystems.

Our Work

Our Work in Forests

The Rainforest Alliance uses a comprehensive range of strategies to conserve forests around the world. Our conservation partners include indigenous forest communities, governments, and companies committed to responsible sourcing. Together, we have helped prevent the deforestation of nearly 4.4 million hectares in high-risk landscapes and forest frontiers.

In this photo: Judith Maricela Barillas sorts xate palm at collection center in Peten, Guatemala.

A Proving Ground for Community Forestry

Armed with communal land rights and sustainable land management training, communities in Guatemala’s Maya Biosphere Reserve have achieved a near-zero deforestation rate.

Deforestation: An Emissions Triple-Whammy

What is the relationship between deforestation and global warming?

Agroforestry: Cash Crops and Conservation

We worked with Kichwa communities in the Ecuadorean Amazon to develop and implement a plan to raise naranjilla, an agricultural product, in harmony with their forests.

A Sustainable Indigenous Forest Economy

The Rainforest Alliance worked with the community of Tres Islas, located in the biodiversity capital of the Peruvian Amazon, to develop a sustainable economy that includes non-timber forest products like Brazil nuts and palm fruit, as well as sustainably harvested timber. With training provided by our field experts, Tres Islas has added value to its forest products and increased revenues by 74 percent.

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Learn more about how we are working to achieve our mission.

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Our Impact

From the very beginning of our journey, the Rainforest Alliance has forged innovative solutions to address the global crisis of deforestation. The complex web of pressures that threaten our forests demand comprehensive, landscape-level solutions that address not only environmental threats but the economic pressures that contribute to them. We constantly evaluate our results in order to amplify our impact.

82,800,000 acres

of forestland managed sustainably

Strong Forests

About 82.8 million acres (33.5 million ha) of forestland are managed according to the rigorous environmental, economic, and social standards required for Rainforest Alliance certification.

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31,525 people

trained in sustainable forestry

Supporting Frontline Conservationists

We have trained more than 31,500 people in sustainable forestry. Our forest enterprise projects with indigenous and forest communities in Peru, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras alone have generated $123,884,180 in revenue for our partner communities since 2010.

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Learn more ways we are achieving real results.

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Join us to help rebalance the earth.