Man can thrive only if Nature thrives. This realization has seen the sprouting and growth of several non-profit organizations that function solely for the benefit of nature. Two such critical non-profit organizations are the Rainforest Trust and The Rainforest Alliance.
The Rainforest Trust is a U.S. – based, highly transparent, and efficient non-profit organization functioning over the past 30 years with a mission to save endangered wildlife. The organization purchases rainforest areas that are threatened. It then ensures the protection of the land by entering into a partnership with conservation groups worldwide. The community is also engaged in the entire process.
A few of its notable conservation projects are the Jocotoco Conservation Foundation Project to save Ecuador’s endangered bird and animal species, and the partnership project with Burung Indonesia, to conserve Asian bird species.
Rainforest Alliance is yet another international non-profit organization that uses social and market forces to protect forests and their inhabitants. The Rainforest Alliance seal, which appears on products made from farm and forest products, is seen more or less as a valid symbol of sustainability. Various tourism businesses also use this seal as a certification for their various educational programmes on sustainability.
Businesses and start-ups that foster this sustainability are encouraged by many countries. For example, the agreement signed between the Costa Rican government and the American pharmaceutical company, Merck, ensures that a share of the profit gained from extracting its rainforest medicinal compounds is used to fund conservation projects. The country also invests in ecotourism projects to financially benefit the local economies.
At the global level, The United Nations’ REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) Program offers financial support to 58-member countries. The fund is used to mitigate the extent of carbon emissions created by deforestation activities within these countries. Using this fund from REDD, the Democratic Republic of Congo has created an online National Forest Monitoring System that tracks and maps data on any deforestation activities happening in its protected areas and monitors measures under-taken by the national forestry department.
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