Rainforest Partnership creates mechanisms for conservation and sustainable use of rainforests in Central and South America that are threatened with deforestation.

We recognize that the primary threat to rainforests is economic. The communities living in and around rainforests have limited options to earn a livelihood. Historically, many have needed to clear-cut the forests and use the land for pasture, cash crops or logging. This degrades the environment and contributes to global climate change. More important from the local communities’ point of view, it is economically unsustainable: Rainforest soil is thin and nutrient-poor, so new areas of the forest must be cut every few years to maintain agricultural production.

The solution is to create and support sustainable economic alternatives to deforestation and give the local communities a stake in preserving their forests. Depending on the nature of the forest and the local community, this may involve creating a market in the United States for shade grown crops such as acai berries, cacao, or coffee, medicinal plants, palm trees or for crafts made by local artisans. In some communities, it may be appropriate to develop plans for sustainable logging and for ecotourism. In a bottom up approach, we match economic development choices to the needs and desires, culture, knowledge, and skills of local communities, and to the opportunities created by each individual rainforest.