Rainforest Alliance

Forests are essential to the survival of life on Earth, providing oxygen, clean water, shelter, fuel and food. But rampant global consumption and illegal logging put a heavy strain on these crucial resources. At the Rainforest Alliance, we know that the best way to keep forests standing is to use them wisely. To that end, we work with everyone from large corporations to forest-based communities to ensure that logging is conducted responsibly, so that ecosystems are protected.

All of us depend on the Earths land surface to provide us with nourishment, drinking water, and the wood we need for shelter and warmth; billions of us depend on the land directly for our livelihoods.

Agriculture, forestry, and tourism are three industries that have huge impacts on forests and land worldwide. So the Rainforest Alliance works with farmers, foresters, and tourism entrepreneurs, providing them with training and guidelines so they can minimize their environmental impacts, while earning stable incomes. Their sustainable practices may earn them certification through the Sustainable Agriculture Network standard, the Forest Stewardship Council standard both of which were cofounded by the Rainforest Alliance or the Rainforest Alliances UN accredited tourism standard.

Are We Making a Difference?

Our initiatives have an overarching goal: to safeguard the health of forests and communities. What is at stake is immense, so it is crucial we know if we are we meeting that goal. Measuring the impact of what we do is integral to how we work.

Sustainability is Good Business

During the Rainforest Alliances 30 years, we have seen, and been a part of impressive changes within the business community, which has embraced sustainability practices slowly but steadily. Today, the Rainforest Alliance works with hundreds of businesses that seek our guidance to help ensure their goods and services not only minimize any negative environmental and social impacts along their supply chains, but also provide positive benefits to communities and the planet.

Better Together

As consumers, we all have tremendous power to advance sustainable land-use and business practices. We can choose which organizations to support with our donations. We can choose to purchase only those goods and services whose production did not harm forests, biodiversity, or communities. We can learn why the choices we make matter so much and then share what we learn. Caring consumers can look for the little green frog, a trusted symbol of sustainability, and know that the projects they choose to support and the goods they choose to purchase are helping to rebalance the Earth.

Here is a link to the Rainforest Alliance: http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/