A medida que el mundo avanza en la ampliación del financiamiento climático a través de programas de REDD+ Jurisdiccional (JREDD+), surge una pregunta central: ¿quién se beneficia y de qué manera? Iniciativas como la Coalición LEAF – Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest Finance (Reducción de Emisiones mediante la Aceleración del Financiamiento Forestal) representan esfuerzos prometedores para movilizar financiamiento a gran escala, basado en resultados, para la protección de los bosques. Sin embargo, su éxito depende, en última instancia, de garantizar que los Pueblos Indígenas, las Comunidades Locales y los Afrodescendientes (PPII, CCLL y AD) no sean únicamente beneficiarios, sino también actores clave en la toma de decisiones y co creadores centrales sobre cómo estos recursos deben ser distribuidos y gobernados.

Desde hace más de dos décadas, Forest Trends actúa en esta intersección, conectando los mecanismos globales de financiamiento climático con las realidades locales. A través de la Iniciativa de Comunidades y Gobernanza Territorial (ICGT), colaboramos con PPII, CCLL y AD en toda América Latina y el Sur Global para fortalecer la gobernanza territorial, asegurar derechos y vincular la gestión y protección de los bosques con mecanismos de financiamiento justos y transparentes. Algunos de nuestros proyectos más recientes se enfocan directamente en esta misión, promoviendo la inclusión y la equidad en el marco de los programas jurisdiccionales de REDD+.

Lecciones desde el territorio: construyendo puentes para el REDD+ jurisdiccional

Entre 2023 y 2025, Forest Trends, a través de la ICGT y de su socia en Brasil, Greendata, trabajó con organizaciones de PPII, CCLL y AD y con gobiernos en los estados brasileños de Pará y Amapá, en el estado de Jalisco (México) y en Ecuador. El objetivo central fue fortalecer las capacidades de PPII, CCLL y AD para una participación más cualificada en las oportunidades emergentes del REDD+ Jurisdiccional, así como sentar las bases para procesos equitativos de distribución de beneficios y de Consulta Libre, Previa e Informada (CLPI).

A lo largo de 21 talleres y diálogos, que involucraron a más de 500 participantes, organizaciones indígenas y locales profundizaron su comprensión sobre REDD+, sobre ART, la Arquitectura para las Transacciones REDD+ y su estándar TREES, así como sobre los conceptos que estructuran los enfoques jurisdiccionales en su conjunto. Se organizaron mesas de diálogo constructivas entre liderazgos de PPII, CCLL y AD y representantes gubernamentales, creando espacios de intercambio directo que contribuyeron a la construcción de confianza mutua y transparencia. El proyecto también lanzó el Centro de Recursos PICL para PPII, CCLL y AD, que actualmente reúne más de 100 materiales en inglés, español y portugués, sobre REDD+, financiamiento climático y derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas y las Comunidades Tradicionales.

A pesar de las transiciones políticas en los tres países, el proyecto mantuvo su impulso mediante una adaptación flexible, reorientando el enfoque cuando fue necesario y priorizando procesos de facilitación arraigados en los contextos culturales. La experiencia demostró que la efectividad del REDD+ Jurisdiccional no depende de planes rígidos, sino de relaciones basadas en la confianza, el respeto y la corresponsabilidad.

Construyendo a partir de la experiencia: del SISA a LEAF

Las raíces de este trabajo se remontan al Programa SISA, uno de los primeros sistemas de REDD+ jurisdiccional del mundo, implementado por el estado de Acre y cuya concepción contó con la contribución de Forest Trends desde su creación en 2010. El SISA (Sistema de Incentivos a Servicios Ambientales) nos enseñó que la gobernanza no es un subproducto de los mercados de carbono, sino su fundamento. Esta experiencia pionera liderada por Acre demostró la importancia de establecer mecanismos de distribución de beneficios que reflejen la gobernanza y los valores locales, en lugar de imponer modelos externos.

Hoy, a medida que la Coalición LEAF y otros programas jurisdiccionales se expanden, estas lecciones siguen siendo fundamentales. Los sistemas jurisdiccionales deben ir más allá de transacciones impuestas y adoptar la CLPI como un proceso vivo y continuo. La distribución de beneficios no debe limitarse a redistribuir ganancias financieras, sino también fortalecer la gobernanza territorial, la resiliencia cultural y la equidad social. En este sentido, la integridad jurisdiccional debe incluir necesariamente la integridad social.

Herramientas de conocimiento para la inclusión

Paralelamente al trabajo de campo, Forest Trends ha desarrollado herramientas complementarias para apoyar el liderazgo de PPII, CCLL y AD en el acceso al financiamiento climático y de conservación. Nuestro Centro de Recursos ofrece guías prácticas, materiales de formación y recursos visuales para ayudar a las comunidades a navegar marcos políticos y financieros complejos.

La serie Entendiendo el Financiamiento Climático, compuesta por siete cartillas educativas, explica conceptos como el cambio climático, los mercados de carbono, REDD+ y JREDD+, la CLPI, la distribución de beneficios, la Coalición LEAF, ART y el estándar TREES. Los materiales están disponibles en inglés, portugués y español. Esperamos que estas herramientas contribuyan a que las comunidades puedan participar de manera más informada en los complejos espacios del financiamiento climático y de la conservación, con poder decisorio para definir los mejores caminos para sus territorios y sus pueblos

Estos esfuerzos de generación de conocimiento se ven reforzados por nuestra publicación más reciente, de 2025: la primera edición del informe Estado del Financiamiento Climático y de la Conservación para los Pueblos Indígenas y las Comunidades Locales, que ofrece una visión global de los flujos de recursos que efectivamente llegan de forma directa a PPII y CCLL. Basado en la literatura existente, complementada con investigaciones adicionales, entrevistas y análisis de datos, el informe demuestra por qué la transparencia y el acceso directo a los recursos deben convertirse en elementos innegociables de cualquier arquitectura de financiamiento climático que aspire a ser legítima.

La equidad no es caridad: es eficiencia. Cuando PPII, CCLL y AD están en el centro del diseño y de la toma de decisiones, los resultados son más sólidos, duraderos y legítimos, beneficiando no solo al medio ambiente y a las comunidades a nivel local, sino a todos los ecosistemas y pueblos a escala global. Los sistemas de gobernanza de PPII, CCLL y AD, sus saberes ancestrales y su rol como guardianes de la naturaleza continúan siendo la estrategia más eficaz del mundo para la conservación del clima y de la biodiversidad.

Un llamado a la equidad como integridad

Al recordar la COP30, en Belém, donde Brasil recibió a más de 3.500 liderazgos indígenas en la Aldea COP, un espacio histórico coorganizado por el Ministerio de los Pueblos Indígenas de Brasil y diversos socios, incluida Forest Trends, nuestra responsabilidad colectiva es clara: el REDD+ Jurisdiccional debe seguir evolucionando hacia la cogobernanza y la distribución justa de beneficios.

En este espíritu, Forest Trends promovió una actividad durante la exposición Estación Amazônia Sempre, organizada por el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID), titulada “Financiamiento climático: liderazgo de los guardianes de los bosques”. La sesión exploró caminos para hacer que el financiamiento climático sea más equitativo y efectivo, asegurando que PPII, CCLL y AD asuman el liderazgo en iniciativas de JREDD+, con experiencias presentadas por el Ministerio de Medio Ambiente de Brasil y la Secretaría de Medio Ambiente del estado de Amapá.

En Forest Trends entendemos este proceso como un viaje compartido. Los programas jurisdiccionales, como los apoyados por la Coalición LEAF, entre otros, tienen el potencial de generar resultados significativos cuando integran activamente el liderazgo de PPII, CCLL y AD, respetan los derechos y fortalecen la confianza entre comunidades, gobiernos y mercados. Reconocemos que el impacto real depende de una gobernanza inclusiva que reconozca y valore a quienes protegen los bosques.

El futuro del JREDD+ depende de las relaciones. Juntos, podemos garantizar que cada tonelada de CO₂ represente no solo un impacto climático, sino también justicia, inclusión, biodiversidad, prosperidad compartida y la protección de los derechos de propiedad intelectual, conocimientos tradicionales y conocimientos ancestrales. Cuando lo hagamos, los beneficios de la acción climática se extenderán mucho más allá de las fronteras y las comunidades, llegando a todo el planeta.

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À medida que o mundo avança para ampliar o financiamento climático por meio de programas de REDD+ Jurisdicional (JREDD+), surge uma questão central: quem se beneficia e de que forma? Iniciativas como a Coalizão LEAF – Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest Finance (Reduzindo Emissões por meio da Aceleração do Financiamento Florestal, na sigla em inglês) representam esforços promissores para mobilizar financiamento em larga escala baseado em resultados, para a proteção das florestas. No entanto, seu sucesso depende, em última instância, de garantir que Povos Indígenas, Comunidades Locais e Afrodescendentes (PIs, CLs e ADs) não sejam apenas beneficiários, mas também tomadores de decisão e co-criadores centrais sobre como esses recursos devem ser distribuídos e governados.

Há mais de duas décadas, a Forest Trends atua nessa interseção, conectando mecanismos globais de financiamento climático às realidades locais. Por meio da Iniciativa Comunidades e Governança Territorial (ICGT), colaboramos com PIs, CLs e ADs em toda a América Latina e no Sul Global para fortalecer a governança territorial, assegurar direitos e conectar a gestão e proteção florestal a mecanismos de financiamento justos e transparentes. Alguns de nossos projetos mais recentes se concentram diretamente nessa missão, promovendo inclusão e equidade no âmbito de programas jurisdicionais de REDD+.

Lições do campo: construindo pontes para o REDD+ jurisdicional

Entre 2023 a 2025, a Forest Trends, por meio da ICGT e de sua parceira no Brasil, Greendata – Centro de Gestão e Inovação Socioeconômica e Ambiental, trabalhou com organizações de PIs, CLs e ADs e com governos nos estados brasileiros do Pará e do Amapá, no estado de Jalisco, no México, e também no Equador. O objetivo central foi o de fortalecer PIs, CLs e ADs para uma participação mais qualificada nas oportunidades emergentes de REDD+ Jurisdicional, além de lançar as bases para processos equitativos de repartição de benefícios e de Consulta Livre, Prévia e Informada (CLPI).

Ao longo de 21 oficinas e diálogos, envolvendo mais de 500 participantes, organizações indígenas e locais aprofundaram sua compreensão sobre REDD+, sobre a ART, a Arquitetura para Transações REDD+ e seu padrão TREES; bem como sobre os conceitos que estruturam as abordagens jurisdicionais como um todo. Mesas de diálogo construtivas foram organizadas entre lideranças de PIs, CLs e ADs e representantes governamentais, criando espaços para trocas diretas que contribuíram para a construção de confiança mútua e transparência. O projeto também lançou o Centro de Recursos PICL, para PIs, CLs e ADs, que atualmente reúne mais de 100 materiais em inglês, espanhol e português, sobre REDD+, financiamento climático e direitos de Povos Indígenas e Comunidades Tradicionais. 

Apesar das transições políticas nos três países, o projeto manteve seu ritmo ao se adaptar de forma flexível, redirecionando o foco quando necessário e priorizando uma facilitação enraizada em contextos culturais. A experiência demonstrou que a efetividade do REDD+ Jurisdicional não depende de planos, mas de relações baseadas em confiança, respeito e corresponsabilidade.

Construindo a partir da experiência: do SISA à LEAF

As raízes desse trabalho remontam ao Programa SISA, um dos primeiros sistemas de REDD+ jurisdicional do mundo, pilotado pelo estado do Acre e cuja concepção contou com a contribuição da Forest Trends em sua construção em 2010. O SISA (Sistema de Incentivos a Serviços Ambientais) nos ensinou que a governança não é um subproduto dos mercados de carbono, mas seu alicerce. Essa experiência pioneira liderada pelo Acre demonstrou a importância de estabelecer mecanismos de repartição de benefícios que reflitam a governança e os valores locais, em vez de impor modelos externos.

Hoje, à medida que a Coalizão LEAF e outros programas jurisdicionais se expandem, essas lições seguem sendo fundamentais. Sistemas jurisdicionais precisam ir além de transações impostas e adotar a CLPI como um processo vivo e contínuo. A repartição de benefícios deve não apenas redistribuir ganhos financeiros, mas fortalecer a governança territorial, a resiliência cultural e a equidade social. Nesse sentido, a integridade jurisdicional deve incluir, necessariamente, a integridade social.

Ferramentas de conhecimento para a inclusão

Paralelamente ao trabalho de campo, a Forest Trends desenvolveu ferramentas complementares para apoiar a liderança de PIs, CLs e ADs no acesso ao financiamento climático e de conservação. Nosso Centro de Recursos oferece guias práticos, materiais de formação e recursos visuais para auxiliar comunidades a navegar por temas políticos e financeiros complexos. A série Entendendo o Financiamento Climático, composta por sete cartilhas educativas, explica conceitos como mudança do clima, mercados de carbono, REDD+ e JREDD+, CLPI, repartição de benefícios, a Coalizão LEAF, ART e o padrão TREES. Os materiais estão disponíveis em inglês, português e espanhol. Esperamos que essas ferramentas contribuam para que as comunidades possam participar de forma mais informada nos complexos espaços de financiamento climático e de conservação, com poder decisório para definir os melhores caminhos para seus territórios e seus povos.

Esses esforços de produção de conhecimento são reforçados por nossa publicação mais recente, de 2025, a primeira edição do relatório Estado do Financiamento Climático e de Conservação para Povos Indígenas e Comunidades Locais, que oferece uma visão global dos fluxos de recursos de financiamento climático e de conservação que efetivamente chegam diretamente a PIs e CLs. Com base na literatura existente, somada a pesquisas adicionais, entrevistas e análise de dados, o relatório evidencia por que a transparência e o acesso direto aos recursos devem se tornar elementos inegociáveis de qualquer arquitetura de financiamento climático que pretenda ser efetivamente legítima.

Equidade não é caridade, é eficiência. Quando PIs, CLs e ADs estão no centro do desenho e da tomada de decisão, os resultados são mais robustos, duradouros e legítimos, beneficiando não apenas o meio ambiente e as comunidades em nível local, mas todos os ecossistemas e povos, em uma escala global. Os sistemas de governança de PIs, CLs e ADs, seus saberes ancestrais e sua atuação como guardiões da natureza continuam sendo a estratégia mais eficaz do mundo para a conservação do clima e da biodiversidade.

Um chamado à equidade como integridade

Ao relembrarmos a COP30, em Belém, onde o Brasil recebeu mais de 3.500 lideranças indígenas na Aldeia COP, um espaço histórico co-organizado pelo Ministério dos Povos Indígenas do Brasil e diversos parceiros, incluindo a Forest Trends; nossa responsabilidade coletiva é clara: o REDD+ Jurisdicional deve continuar evoluindo rumo à co-governança e à distribuição justa de benefícios.

Nesse espírito, a Forest Trends promoveu um evento durante a exposição Estação Amazônia Sempre, organizada pelo Banco Interamericano de Desenvolvimento (BID), intitulado “Financiamento climático: liderança dos guardiões das florestas”. A sessão explorou caminhos para tornar o financiamento climático mais equitativo e efetivo, assegurando que PIs, CLs e ADs assumam a liderança em iniciativas de JREDD+, com experiências apresentadas pelo Ministério do Meio Ambiente e pela Secretaria de Meio Ambiente do estado do Amapá.

Na Forest Trends, entendemos esse processo como uma jornada compartilhada. Programas jurisdicionais como os apoiados pela Coalizão LEAF, entre outros, têm o potencial de gerar resultados significativos quando integram ativamente a liderança de PIs, CLs e ADs, respeitam direitos e fortalecem a confiança entre comunidades, governos e mercados. Reconhecemos que o impacto real depende de uma governança inclusiva que reconheça e valorize aqueles que protegem as florestas.

O futuro do J-REDD depende das relações. Juntos, podemos garantir que cada tonelada de CO₂ represente, não apenas o impacto climático, mas também justiça, inclusão, biodiversidade, prosperidade compartilhada e a proteção dos direitos de propriedade intelectual, conhecimentos tradicionais e conhecimentos ancestrais. Quando fizermos isso, os benefícios da ação climática se estenderão muito além das fronteiras e comunidades, alcançando todo o planeta.

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As the world moves to scale climate finance through Jurisdictional REDD+ (J-REDD) programs, a central question emerges: who benefits and how? Initiatives like the LEAF Coalition (Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest Finance) represent promising efforts to mobilize large-scale results-based finance for forest protection. Yet, their success ultimately depends on whether Indigenous Peoples,  Local Communities, and Afrodescendants (IP, LC, & AD) are not only treated as beneficiaries but as crucial co-designers and decision makers in how those resources are best distributed and governed.

For over two decades, Forest Trends has worked at this intersection, linking global climate mechanisms with local realities. Through our Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative (CTGI), we collaborate with IP, LC, & AD across Latin America and the Global South to strengthen territorial governance, secure rights, and connect forest stewardship with fair and transparent finance mechanisms. Some of our recent projects focus on building directly on this mission, advancing inclusion and equity within jurisdictional REDD+ programs.

Lessons from the Field: Building Bridges for J-REDD

From 2023 to 2025, Forest Trends, through CTGI and its partner in Brazil Greendata, worked with IP, LC, & AD organizations and governments across the Brazilian states of Pará and Amapá, the state of Jalisco in Mexico, and Ecuador. The goal was to enhance IP, LC, & AD expertise to better engage with emerging J-REDD frameworks, including the ones supported by LEAF Coalition, and also to lay the groundwork for equitable benefit sharing and Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) processes.

Over 21 workshops and dialogues involving more than 500 participants, Indigenous and local organizations strengthened their understanding of REDD+, ART, the Architecture for REDD+ Transactions, their TREES standard, and the concepts around jurisdictional approaches as a whole.  Constructive dialogue tables were organized between IP, LC, & AD  leaderships  and government officials, creating spaces for direct and honest exchanges that helped build mutual trust and transparency. The project also launched the IPLC Resources Center, currently hosting over 100 materials in English, Spanish, and Portuguese on REDD+, climate finance, and Indigenous and community rights.

Despite political transitions in all three countries, the project maintained its momentum by adapting flexibly, shifting focus where necessary, and emphasizing culturally grounded facilitation. It demonstrated that effective jurisdictional REDD+ depends not on rigid plans but on relationships rooted in trust, respect, and shared ownership.

Building on Experience: From SISA to LEAF

The roots of this work reach back to the SISA Program in Acre state, Brazil, one of the world’s first jurisdictional REDD+ systems, which Forest Trends helped design in 2010. SISA, which stands for Environmental Services Incentive System in its acronym in Portuguese,  taught us that governance is not a byproduct of carbon markets, it is their foundation. This pioneering experience led by Acre, demonstrated the importance of establishing benefit-sharing mechanisms that reflect local governance and values, rather than imposing external templates.

Today, as LEAF and other jurisdictional programs expand, these lessons remain vital. Jurisdictional systems must move beyond top-down transactions to embrace FPIC as a continuous, living process. Benefit sharing must not only redistribute financial gains but strengthen territorial governance, cultural resilience, and social equity. In that sense, jurisdictional integrity must include social integrity.

Knowledge Tools for Inclusion

Alongside field engagement, Forest Trends has developed complementary tools to support IP, LC, & AD leadership in climate and conservation finance. Our Resources Center offers practical guides, training materials, and visual resources to help communities navigate complex policy and financial frameworks. Our Understanding Climate Finance series, a series of seven educational booklets, explain concepts such as climate change, carbon markets, REDD+ and J-REDD, FPIC, benefit sharing, LEAF, ART, and the TREES standard, available in English, Portuguese and Spanish. We hope these tools are able to contribute to enabling communities to better participate in the complex climate and conservation finance spaces, in more informed ways and with decisive power to decide the best routes to their communities and people.

These knowledge efforts are reinforced by our newest 2025 publication, the first edition of the State of Climate and Conservation Finance for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Report,  providing a global view of flows of climate and conservation finance resources that actually reach IPs & LCs directly. Building on current literature, with added research, interviews and data analysis, its conclusions underscore why transparency and direct access to funding must become non-negotiable elements of any credible climate finance architecture.

Equity is not charity, it is efficiency. When IP, LC, & AD are at the center of design and decision making, outcomes are stronger, more durable, and more legitimate, benefiting not only the environment and communities on a local level, but all ecosystems and peoples at a global scale. IP, LC, & AD governance systems, cultural wisdom, and stewardship of nature remain the world’s most effective climate and biodiversity conservation strategy.

A Call for Equity as Integrity

Looking back at COP30 in Belém, where Brazil  hosted over 3,500 Indigenous leaders at the Aldeia COP, a historic space co-organized by the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil and many partners, including Forest Trends, our collective responsibility is clear: jurisdictional REDD+ must continue evolving toward co-governance and fair distribution of benefits. 

In this spirit, Forest Trends hosted a side event during the Estação Amazônia Sempre fair organized by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), titled “Climate Finance: Leadership of Forest Guardians.” This session explored pathways to make climate finance more equitable and effective by ensuring IP, LC, & AD take the lead in J-REDD initiatives, with experiences from Brazil’s Ministry of Environment and the Environment Secretariat of Amapá state. 

At Forest Trends, we see this as a shared journey. Jurisdictional programs such as those supported by the LEAF Coalition, but not limited to it, have the potential to deliver significant results when they actively integrate IP, LC, & AD leadership, respect rights, and strengthen trust between communities, governments, and markets. True impact depends on inclusive governance that recognizes and rewards those who safeguard forests.

The future of J-REDD relies on relationships. Together, we can ensure that every ton of CO₂ represents not only climate impact but also justice, inclusion, biodiversity, shared prosperity, and the protection of IP, LC, and AD rights and traditional knowledge. When we do, the benefits of climate action extend far beyond borders and communities, reaching the whole planet.

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1. Largest Indigenous participation in COP history

Brazil is the home of the world’s first Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, created in 2023 to correctly place Indigenous leadership at the table around climate and forest policy. At this COP, the Ministry, led by Minister Sônia Guajajara, played a central role in organizing the Indigenous Village COP (Aldeia) that brought over 3,000 Indigenous leaders from around Brazil and the world to Belém. It was the largest Indigenous participation in COP history, and it served as a powerful signal that their leadership is indispensable to any credible climate or forest solution. Forest Trends was a key supporter of the Indigenous Village COP, and we are working closely with partners to help scale a national effort that reaches communities across all of Brazil’s biomes. This partnership reinforces governance, supports Indigenous economies, and builds pathways for climate finance to reach territories in fair and direct ways. The work is national in scale, innovative in approach, and unprecedented in ambition.

Forest Trends hosts an event at its space at Aldeia COP.

2. Launching of the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF)

Another outcome that received significant attention from the media was the launching of a Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), led by Brazil with approximately $9.5 billion committed at Belém. The fund has been designed to protect against forest loss, including Indigenous lands. While the TFFF’s ultimate goals are much bigger ($100 billion), this was a bold first step.

Forest Trends’ team welcomes Minister Sônia Guajajara
to a networking event during COP30.

3. Restoring degraded lands through community leadership and global climate commitments

A key COP30 outcome is the commitment to increase financing for tropical forest recovery, reinforced that large-scale restoration and community leadership are essential to global climate and biodiversity goals. Forest Trends’ Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative (CTGI) continues to make progress with the “Arboredo” and “Our Forest, Our Home” projects that have already planted over 1.5 million trees in the Brazilian Amazon and 950 thousand trees at the Atlantic Rainforest, with 1.2 million more expected by next year, engaging over 200 communities and properties and directly impacting 1500 individuals, thus regenerating biodiversity and revitalizing local economies across these two biomes.

Nicia Coutinho and Beto Borges from CTGI host event
at the Emilio Goeldi Museum about Jurisdictional REDD+,
with speakers from the Ministry of Environment and
the Environment Secretary of Amapá state.

4. Consolidation of the Equitable Earth Standard

Another historic milestone of the COP, and a great achievement of our team, was the launch and consolidation of the Equitable Earth Standard. Co-developed by partners alongside Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPs & LCs), this new global standard seeks to direct climate finance to the territories that safeguard the forest. It is the first standard designed around community-led governance, transparent rules, scientific integrity, and real benefits for Indigenous and local communities.

Marcio Halla presents the Territorial Governance Facility
alongside partners at Aldeia COP,

All these firsts point to a simple truth: COP30 was not just another conference. It is a turning point in how the world understands climate leadership. A COP in the Amazon. The first Ministry of Indigenous Peoples in the world. The highest Indigenous participation ever recorded. The first Indigenous Village COP. A new climate finance standard co-created with communities.

This all took place in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, the largest in the world, on an island surrounded on all sides by the majestic Amazon River. It’s easy to dwell on what didn’t happen in Belém, but we are in the fight of our lifetimes and for generations to come.

The post Why COP30 Was A Turning Point appeared first on Forest Trends.

The recent approval of Resolution No. 19/2025 by Brazil’s National REDD+ Commission (CONAREDD+) represents a significant step toward correcting this imbalance. The Resolution sets clear requirements for jurisdictional programs and private carbon projects in public and collective lands. It mandates alignment with territorial management plans, prohibits restrictions on traditional land use, requires free, prior, and informed consultation, guarantees independent technical and legal support for communities, and establishes protections for human rights defenders along with community-led grievance mechanisms.²

This is more than a regulatory reform: it is a recognition that development and climate action must proceed on the firm foundation of rights, equity, and justice. Without these safeguards, markets risk perpetuating the very inequalities they claim to solve.

At Forest Trends’ Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative (CTGI), we have long upheld the principle that Indigenous and traditional peoples must be at the center of any climate solution. Our new partnership with Brazil’s Ministry of Indigenous Peoples embodies this vision: ensuring that Indigenous leadership shapes both jurisdictional frameworks and voluntary projects. The emphasis must remain clear—Indigenous Peoples are not stakeholders to be consulted after decisions are made. They are rights-holders and leaders, whose governance systems provide resilience and integrity.

Experience shows why this matters. At COP26, international donors pledged US $1.7 billion to support IPLC tenure, but by COP27 only US $321 million had been disbursed.³ Promises alone are not enough. Binding mechanisms, such as those now embedded in Brazil’s Resolution, are essential to ensure that resources truly reach the communities who need them.

Science also affirms this truth: in the Amazon, Indigenous territories function as net carbon sinks, absorbing more than they emit, while many other areas have already become net sources.⁴ Strengthening Indigenous governance is not only just—it is also the most effective way to protect forests and stabilize the climate.

Forest Trends has also helped pioneer the Equitable Earth standard, designed with and for Indigenous and local communities, to channel finance transparently, with scientific rigor and governance led from the ground up.⁵ Initiatives like this, combined with Brazil’s new safeguards, show that progress is possible when we prioritize equity and rights above short-term gains.

This is not the end of the road—it is the beginning of a new standard for accountability. Brazil’s leadership offers hope, but also sets a responsibility: to prove that it is possible to reconcile policy, finance, and rights in a way that uplifts communities rather than marginalizes them.

The future of climate action will only be credible if it is community-driven and rights-based. Indigenous Peoples and traditional communities have always been the guardians of forests. With clear rules, innovative standards, and recognition of their leadership, they can now help define a more just and sustainable path forward.

Beto Borges is a Brazilian conservationist and Director of the Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative at Forest Trends.

1. Nature4Climate (2022); Ford Foundation (2021): Data on land managed by IPLC and share of direct climate finance.
2. Brito, C. & Santilli, M. (2025). “Novas regras apertam o cerco a projetos de carbono em terras públicas e coletivas.” Valor Econômico.
3. Nature4Climate (2022): Tracking pledges and disbursements for Indigenous and community forest tenure (COP26–27).
4. RAISG & World Resources Institute (2021): Evidence on Indigenous territories as net carbon sinks in the Amazon.
5. Equitable Earth Coalition (2023): Standard for community-centered forest conservation and carbon finance.

The post Brazil’s New Resolution: A Step Forward for Indigenous Rights and Forest Governance appeared first on Forest Trends.

Water is everywhere in our lives: not just in what we drink or use to grow food, but in data centers, cooling systems, energy grids, sanitation, and manufacturing. It powers our economies and our everyday routines.

And in much of the world, water is also the face of climate change. We see it in intensifying droughts, catastrophic floods, and the strain on water infrastructure from rising demand and erratic supply. In fact, not only was 2024 the driest year on record, but it also saw record-breaking floods. These extreme events took lives, displaced communities, and contaminated water supplies.

At the same time, approximately half of the world’s population experiences severe water scarcity for at least part of the year, and 25 countries—home to one-quarter of humanity—face “extremely high” water stress every year. The urgent need to build resilience into our water systems has never been clearer.

Fortunately, one of the most powerful tools to increase resilience is already at hand: nature. Nature-based solutions (NbS)—from restoring wetlands and protecting forests, to improving agricultural practices and naturally recharging groundwater—can play a critical role in securing water resources and buffering communities against climate shocks. When thoughtfully integrated with built infrastructure, like dams and reservoirs, NbS can offer scalable, cost-effective strategies to manage water risk and sustain healthy ecosystems and resilient communities.

Calls to scale investment in NbS have grown dramatically since 2016. Yet despite the headlines and high-profile case studies, it has remained difficult to track whether this momentum has translated into real financial commitments with action on the ground.

Now, we have more data than ever to answer that question. A new report, Doubling Down: The State of Investment in Nature-based Solutions for Water Security, 2025, produced by Forest Trends and The Nature Conservancy, presents the most comprehensive global assessment to date of finance explicitly directed toward NbS with water-related objectives—such as mitigating flood risk, improving water quality, and securing supply.

The clearest takeaway is that investment in NbS for water has doubled over the past decade, growing from approximately US $25 billion in 2016 to reach $49 billion in 2023—equal to one-third of the financial flows into global biodiversity conservation (as estimated in 2019). Public sector funding continues to dominate, underlining the importance of policy frameworks and consistent public investment.

But private finance from the water sector and other funders is also beginning to emerge, which presents new and exciting possibilities for the future of NbS. Understanding how to unlock this funding stream will be critical to scaling the adoption of NbS for water around the world and further mainstreaming its implementation.

NbS for water security are one of the most resilient funding streams, and this report illustrates how even major economic slowdowns like the COVID pandemic failed to dampen investors’ interest.

Even more, investing in nature is popular among the public. Polling shows that there is broad support for natural climate solutions, with 94% of U.S. voters and 84% of Canadian voters in favor of expanding strategies to better manage and restore our forests, grasslands, and wetlands. This support crosses party lines, reaching 99% of Democrats, 94% of independents, and 89% of Republicans in the United States. People across the political spectrum know that protecting and restoring nature is the smartest investment we can make.

NbS can play a significant role in improving water management and security for communities around the world. Innovative watershed protection programs like water funds—the first of which was launched 25 years ago in Quito, Ecuador by TNC and the city’s water utility company—bring public and private stakeholders together to sustainably manage local watersheds. By protecting and restoring ecosystems, these programs support biodiversity in the region while saving cities money and helping them secure a supply of high-quality water for communities.

We’re also seeing what’s possible when national policy and cross-sector partnerships build on local experience and leadership to bring NbS investment to scale. Forest Trends demonstrated the power of this alignment through the Natural Infrastructure for Water Security project in Peru, working alongside government agencies, utilities, engineers, and communities to translate growing interest in NbS into practical mechanisms, capacities, and projects that began delivering NbS investments at scale. In 2023 alone, investment in NbS for water security across 50 of the 53 watersheds of Peru reached over $80 million—7x growth from 2016 and the highest of any country in Latin America. Tracking over 200 projects, including watershed restoration projects that used innovative funding from public investment systems and budgets, this transformation required cross-sector collaboration.

With new data in hand, we now have a clear-eyed view of how governments, investors, and institutions are mobilizing resources—and where the untapped opportunities lie. We hope it helps turn insight into action, accelerating and diversifying finance for NbS, closing the global nature finance gap, and building a more water-secure, climate-resilient future for all.

The post From Crisis to Opportunity: Investing in Nature-Based Solutions for Water Security appeared first on Forest Trends.

Interestingly, Recife sits in the Northeast Region of Brazil, which is also home to the Caatinga biome—one of the most densely populated and biodiverse forests in the world, and the only biome found exclusively in Brazil. This region is no stranger to climate extremes. It lies within Brazil’s semi-arid zone, an area that has expanded significantly since the 1960s and, for the first time, now includes territory classified as a desert climate. 

But the story of the Caatinga is one of resilience. Despite historical waves of migration from the 1930s to the 1970s, local communities have long demonstrated an extraordinary capacity to adapt—not by fighting against drought, but by learning to effectively coexist with it. Their deep-rooted knowledge has given rise to innovative strategies and technologies that reflect an enduring harmony with their environment. 

In this spirit, the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the Pernambuco state government, and numerous partners, including Forest Trends as both a Contributing Partner and founding member of the BASE Initiative, came together to co-host CBA19. Marcio Halla, the Director of the Territorial Governance Facility for the Communities and

 Territorial Governance Initiative (CTGI), represented Forest Trends, continuing a role he played at CBA18 in Arusha, Tanzania. 

At CBA19, Marcio moderated the session “Incorporating Local and Traditional Knowledge into Nature-Based Solutions” and served as a Theme Advisor for the “Nature and Adaptation” track—one of the conference’s three core themes. He also contributed to the Programming Committee and co-authored the event’s final statement, which distilled eleven key messages for the future of community-based adaptation: 

1. Communities should define success and shape learning. 
2. Secure tenure rights. 
3. Nature-based solutions should be recognized as “local culture-based solutions.” 
4. “Business unusual” must become the new usual. 
5. Responsive funding requires an appetite for risk and trust. 
6. Redefine accountability to flow downward to communities. 
7. Climate risk is socially constructed. 
8. There’s no climate justice without gender justice. 
9. Prioritize equity and inclusion in urban planning and policy. 
10. Integrate diverse knowledge systems into climate action. 
11. Intermediary organizations are key to advancing adaptation. 

Echoing one of the conference’s most resonant messages—“Nature-based solutions should be recognized as ‘local culture-based solutions’”—Marcio emphasized the importance of local knowledge: 

“The challenge of adapting to climate change is huge. Local communities and indigenous peoples have the knowledge, through living in their own impacted territories, about the best ways to promote adaptation.” 

As the world continues to confront the escalating impacts of climate change, CBA19 stood as a powerful reminder: meaningful adaptation starts with the people on the frontlines. Their voices must lead the way. 

The post Recife Hosts Landmark Global Gathering on Climate Adaptation: Reflections from CBA19 appeared first on Forest Trends.

After years of development, one might have expected a risk classification tool robust enough to help companies navigate the complex terrain of global sourcing. Instead, the rankings are poised to mislead businesses into thinking certain countries are “low risk” when the realities on the ground tell a very different story.

A Narrow Lens on Risk

At the heart of the problem is the methodology. The EUDR sets out dual requirements: products placed on or exported from the EU market must be both “deforestation-free” and “produced in compliance with the laws of the country of origin.”

However, the EC’s benchmarking appears to focus overwhelmingly on deforestation metrics and existing EU political sanctions—giving little attention to equally critical issues like governance, corruption, and law enforcement capacity. Findings from Forest Trends’ Illicit Harvest, Complicit Goods report further underscore the problem: illegal deforestation and associated commodity trade are widespread in many countries currently labeled as “low” or “standard” risk according to the EC scores. In fact, estimates suggest there is up to 50–90% illegal deforestation in some tropical countries—a level of illegality that cannot be ignored when assessing risk.

This is not a minor oversight. More than a decade of implementing laws like the EU Timber Regulation, US Lacey Act, and Australia’s Illegal Logging Prohibition Act has shown that corruption, weak governance, and limited enforcement capacity are some of the clearest signals of risk—and essential for directing enforcement efforts where they matter most.

Who’s High Risk? Only the Diplomatically Convenient

Surprisingly, only Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, and North Korea were classified as “high risk.” These are all countries already under EU Council sanctions for other reasons, making them politically safe choices with little chance of diplomatic blowback.

Meanwhile, countries with long-standing forest governance concerns—Congo, Central African Republic, Papua New Guinea, South Sudan, Solomon Islands—were all marked as low risk, grouped alongside the likes of Finland, Norway, and the United States. The result is not just misleading—it actively undermines the regulation’s credibility.

Re-Export Hubs and Laundering Loopholes

The inconsistencies continue when it comes to global trade hubs. The risk of laundering and obfuscating origin is real and well documented. Major re-export centers like China, India, and Singapore also receive low-risk labels, despite their documented roles in transshipment processing, and/or re-exporting high-risk materials in ways that obscure original country of harvest. Even more striking is that Turkey and Kazakhstan, which the EC itself has flagged for laundering banned Russian-origin plywood, remain listed as low risk—a troubling disconnect. Without stronger safeguards, the current country classifications could further incentivize this kind of circumvention.

A Better Lens: Forest Trends’ IDAT Risk Scores

To help importers and enforcement agencies,  Forest Trends developed the Illegal Deforestation and Associated Trade (IDAT) Risk scores in 2017, which offer a more comprehensive view of risk by incorporating indicators of governance quality, corruption, law enforcement capacity, and conflict from credible sources, such as the World Bank, UN agencies, the Economist Intelligence Unit, and other global governance and environmental data providers. Combined with commodity-specific legal risk data, this approach yields a clearer picture of where due diligence should be strongest. Despite their diverse origins, these indices show strong alignment in relative country rankings.

The 2025 IDAT Risk scores classify 104 countries as high risk, 54 as medium risk, and 53 as low risk. These classifications offer a sharper, more grounded assessment of supply chains.

Tales of Two Risk Scores: EC vs Forest Trends’ Scores

The Republic of the Congo is labeled “low risk” under the EC’s EUDR benchmarks, yet Forest Trends’ IDAT Risk scores assess it as high risk due to persistent governance weaknesses and its World Bank designation as a state with high fragility. Forest loss surged 150% in 2024, largely driven by illegal logging and unsustainable land use—closely tied to governance and institutional breakdowns. These are not the signs of a low-risk sourcing environment.

Transshipment hubs are overlooked by the EUDR benchmarks, despite the substantial role they play in today’s complex global supply chains. Re-export hubs like China and Vietnam, both classified as low risk, are in fact major importers and processors of raw materials from high-risk countries—often obscuring true origin and complicating verification efforts. Even more concerning, the EC itself has launched investigations into rising imports of banned Russian birch plywood entering through Turkey and Kazakhstan— also countries labeled low risk by the EUDR but higher risk by Forest Trends’ IDAT Risk scores. These gaps suggest that the current classifications will incentivize transshipment and laundering through countries deemed low risk.

The Bottom Line on the EC Scores: Handle with Caution

For a regulation meant to be a gold standard for global deforestation-free supply chains, this first round of benchmarking is a missed opportunity. Without a fuller picture that includes governance, legality, and institutional risk, companies would do well to treat these rankings with caution. Due diligence remains their responsibility—and in many cases, the risks run deeper than the EC’s classifications suggest.

Relying solely on EUDR benchmarks could weaken the very enforcement system they aim to support. To be effective, enforcement and due diligence must be guided by a broader set of indicators—governance scores, conflict risk, corruption levels, and transshipment patterns.

Because even if a country is rated low risk on deforestation, it doesn’t mean it’s low risk on legality. Due diligence and enforcement targeting must be guided by a fuller picture.

The post EUDR Country Benchmarking Misses the Mark: Why Governance, Legality, and Circumvention Risks Matter appeared first on Forest Trends.

Since 2020, we have proudly partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant 1.3 million trees to-date across 1,200 hectares in Brazil, with efforts underway to surpass two million next year. And this isn’t just any ordinary tree planting: our efforts prioritize Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPs & LCs) as key partners, honoring their crucial, longstanding role as forest guardians with traditional knowledge. We work directly with 22 Indigenous peoples across the Amazon and Atlantic Rainforest regions, in addition to family farmers, local cooperatives, and NGOs, to plant diverse mixes of native seeds and seedlings and restore Brazil’s critical ecosystems. These efforts have resulted in more than seven tons of planted seeds, 500,000 planted seedlings, and over 250 hectares of direct sowing in the Amazon and Atlantic Rainforests. 

In celebration of International Forest Day on March 21st, we are reflecting on some of the unique benefits of this partnership and our non-traditional approach to tree planting. Here are seven important benefits of agroforestry you might not have known about: 

1. Increased food security 

Instead of a plantation-style approach, our replanting efforts with the Arbor Day Foundation and IPs & LCs focus on agroforestry, which involves replanting a diverse mix of native trees and plants and incorporating them into agricultural systems. Forests naturally provide essential food sources like fruits, seeds, nuts, and vegetables. Replanting with biodiversity in mind increases the availability of this food for communities and families living on the land.  

2. Recognition of traditional knowledge and practices 

An especially promising technique we use with our partners is called muvuca, which is a traditional replanting method that involves the direct seeding of native plant mixes. The seed mix includes a combination of fast-growing species, like leguminous species such as beans, as well as shrub and tree species that emerge in the medium and long term as part of a mature forest. 

Muvuca also mimics and restores the way landscapes naturally grow. Soils contain a “seed bank” that remains dormant until conditions are right. Using muvuca helps to restore this seed bank and support forest restoration in the long term.

Muvuca is also more efficient than relying only on seedlings. Seedlings take much longer to individually plant and care for, while with muvuca, seeds can quickly be scattered over large areas of land either by hand or with machinery. As we work with the Arbor Day Foundation and partners on the ground to replant 1,200 hectares, muvuca can help us reach this goal faster.  

For an in-depth look at how muvuca works, we’ve just launched a new video in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation HERE.

3. Improved water quality and quantity 

Planting more trees gives surrounding communities access to cleaner water. As water flows through the soil, plant roots and other microbes in the soil filter out pollutants. When forests are clearcut, the soil becomes unhealthy and is unable to complete this natural service. By planting trees, we are also restoring soil health and ensuring local communities have clean water to drink and grow food. 

Ecological restoration also enhances soil structure and increases its capacity to retain and infiltrate rainwater. This process reduces surface runoff and erosion, allowing more water to recharge groundwater aquifers and feed natural springs. Over time, this can help restore degraded watersheds, contributing to the recovery of stream flows and increasing the availability of water for local communities. 

4. Greater biodiversity  

Agroforestry techniques add important biodiversity back into the forest, both by physically planting a wide variety of trees, but also by creating habitat for native species. Biodiverse landscapes (those with a greater variety of plants, animals, insects, and microbes) are better equipped to withstand climate extremes like droughts and floods. They also support food security; strengthen the economy by providing raw materials for products like wood and paper, food, medicines, lotions and soaps, and clothing; and increase availability of medicines essential for human health—40 percent of which come from nature. 

5. Income for IPs & LCs and other communities 

In addition to harvesting forest products from replanting to use themselves—either for food, medicine, or artisanal products—what is planted through agroforestry systems can also provide new economic opportunities. We plant high-value forest products like açaí, Brazil nuts, and cacao that fetch higher prices in regional and global markets, providing an important source of sustainable income. 

Not only that, but we pay communities for the seeds and seedlings they produce and collect from their lands. This provides another forest-friendly livelihood opportunity and has often resulted in literal “seed money” for communities to launch more formal seed collection businesses. This is also where the benefits circle back around: increasing local capacity for seed collection and plant nurseries helps create a wider network of seed and seedling suppliers for replanting at an even larger scale. 

6. Self-sustaining, resilient communities  

With increased food security and sustainable economic opportunities, communities become well positioned to sustain themselves, their lands, and their families in the long-term, as well as contributing to economic networks on a broader scale. Part of our strategy with the Arbor Day Foundation is to strengthen the capacity of Indigenous peoples, local and afro descendent communities, and family farmers to develop strong, forest-based initiatives of their choosing that align with their cultures and worldviews. In addition to purchasing seeds from communities, we also work with them on trainings, such as satellite monitoring or entrepreneurial skills, and other forms of knowledge sharing. 

When they don’t have to worry about basic needs, communities can also put more time and energy into monitoring their territories. Increased monitoring means communities stand a better chance at eliminating threats to their territories such as illegal logging. They can also conduct more frequent assessments of ecosystem health and biodiversity. 

7. More carbon is absorbed, stored, and converted into oxygen 

Last, but certainly not least, tree planting helps to restore the lungs of our planet. Over half of all carbon stored around the globe is in forests. Not only is this good for the climate, but trees convert carbon dioxide into the oxygen we need to breathe. Some even clean toxins from the air. In fact, a single tree can give four people enough oxygen for an entire day—thank a tree today! 

While this project is part of our broader commitment to restoring Brazil’s critical ecosystems, the cascading impact planting trees can have on economic resilience, biodiversity, food security, and traditional knowledge is significant. This not only drives systemic change by promoting sustainable value chains, but it ensures that conservation and economic growth go hand-in-hand. As a result, our work goes beyond just planting trees. It serves as a model for how large-scale reforestation can be both environmentally and socially transformative. 

Beto Borges is the Director of Forest Trends’ Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative. Ernesto Sanchez Andrade is the Project Development Manager, International at the Arbor Day Foundation.

The post Restoring Forests, Strengthening Communities appeared first on Forest Trends.

Here’s why. In his January 15, 2025 opening remarks before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Secretary of State Marco Rubio put it this way:  

 “Every dollar we spend, every program we fund, every policy we pursue must be justified by the answer to one of three questions: Does it make America safer?  Does it make America stronger?  Does it make America more prosperous?” 

One of the most effective ways to answer all three of these questions with a resounding yes is to recalibrate markets to respect nature’s real value. In many parts of the world, we are taking resources from the planet faster than they can be replenished, putting economies on a dead-end path and increasing conflicts over scarce resources. We can use American aid dollars to change how economies interact with nature—whether our water use, the way we grow our food, or our relationship with wildfire. Not only is this aid core to the American ethos of caring about others in need, but this new normal would also create significant benefits that Secretary Rubio wants to see. 

As a team working on forest conservation and sustainable resource management to benefit local communities around the world, some underestimate the power of foreign aid to achieve all of these things. There’s a persistent idea that aid is solely charity rather than an investment with a high return. But our experience on the ground shows how smart foreign assistance serves as a powerful tool that unquestionably makes America, and the world for that matter, safer, stronger, and more prosperous. 

The tools we use – an emphasis on cost-effective nature-based solutions; public-private partnerships; market-based approaches to environmental problems; a focus on building resilient and self-sufficient local communities – have proven to serve multiple US interests while empowering local communities. Here is what we have learned that is highly applicable now. 

At the most basic level, Forest Trends programs help families in rural areas develop sustainable livelihoods tied to keeping forests and landscapes healthy. This gives these communities an economically sustainable future, mitigating the need to migrate. Forest Trends is, by design, a small organization. We focus on building strong, local partnerships that can sustain themselves for the long term. This localization approach – putting local communities in the driver’s seat – creates lasting solutions and more resilient communities because people become invested in conservation and sustainability when it benefits them.  

Here’s where it gets interesting from a foreign policy perspective: when rural families can make a good living from protecting natural resources, they become far less vulnerable to criminal organizations involved in illegal logging or other illicit activities.  

By the same token, when we crack down on illegal trade in timber and other commodities, we remove a major income source for criminal enterprises. We’ve seen how this directly supports US security interests by reducing instability and supporting peacebuilding in strategically important regions, such as Latin America. 

We have also long championed market-based financial incentives for conservation, through carbon markets, payments for ecosystem services, and sustainable supply chain initiatives. These tools offer a carrot to the stick of cracking down on illegal trade. And markets are innovative; over the last 25 years, we’ve seen that when you get the incentive structure right, you unlock a flood of new ways to make sustainable natural resource management more effective, more efficient, and economically fruitful.  

The data we collect backs this up. Our work tracking illegal timber trade shows how criminal networks threatening both environmental and national security can be disrupted through supply chain transparency and accountability. When companies and governments ensure legal, sustainable timber sourcing, it supports rule of law while protecting American businesses from unfair competition. 

Our work on water risk illustrates another key point about stability. When we help communities cooperate to protect shared water resources through improved governance, local capacity, and market mechanisms like water funds, it reduces risks of competition and conflict over increasingly scarce supplies. This matters because water scarcity is a growing driver of instability in many regions, leading to forced migration and conflict.  

These market-like approaches also leverage USAID investments, multiplying taxpayer dollars’ impact by catalyzing private sector investment. An initial $52M joint investments by USAID and the Government of Canada in Peru has resulted in a roughly $400M+ water security project pipeline being paid for by Peruvian water users, public disaster risk mitigation funds, and private companies. This work represents market transformation – the opposite of creating endless aid dependency. 

Indigenous and local communities are crucial partners in our work. We’ve seen time and again that when given proper rights and economic opportunities, they are often the most effective forest guardians. Creating mechanisms for these communities to benefit economically from conservation helps preserve both crucial ecosystems and traditional ways of life. 

Looking ahead, we believe these market-based approaches will become even more important as we seek to mobilize private capital to address issues like water shortages and stress, forest fires, and loss of biodiversity. Building the infrastructure for innovative, legal, and fair markets helps channel private investment toward solutions that benefit both local communities and global stability. This meets America’s priority of having fewer conflicts to manage, and it creates stronger global partnerships. It’s also aligned with our country’s moral identity.

For American companies we work with, these programs help ensure sustainable, legal supply chains for forest products while demonstrating business and environmental leadership, as consumers and investors increasingly demand sustainability. 

The bottom line we’ve learned from our work: smart foreign aid focused on putting an economic engine between conservation and ecological restoration delivers multiple benefits that serve US interests. By empowering local communities, strengthening legal markets, and creating sustainable economic opportunities, we help build the kind of stable, prosperous world that makes America safer and stronger.  

The post Why Foreign Aid Makes Smart Foreign Policy: A View from the Forest appeared first on Forest Trends.