Partners
Initiative 20x20 (World Resources Institute)
Initiative 20×20 is the world’s leading land conservation effort under the World Resources Institute, working specifically in Latin America and the Caribbean. Their goal is to procure 50 million hectares, of the 300 million degraded, of farm, forest, and pasture landscapes land to restore by 2030. The initiative also looks to reduce the 58% of Latin America’s carbon emissions that come from land misuse. Initiative 20×20 was formed at COP 20 in Lima, Peru, in 2014. These six key work areas were established: reforestation, sustainable low-carbon agriculture, avoided degradation and deforestation, sustainable management of grasslands, agroforestry, and silvopasture. These practices collectively support the goal of conserving land and decarbonizing Latin America.
***Agriculture, Decarbonization, Land Restoration, Reforestation
The Kuntanawa Nation
The Kuntanawa are an indigenous nation residing in the State of Acre of the Amazon. There are a total of 100 people, and approximately 400 in different cities and communities along the riverside. Survival techniques and self-sustainability traditionally taught by ancestors needed to be relearned to protect their culture’s existence, following the genocide and enslavement by rubber-tappers in the 19th century. Haru Kuntanawa, current co-leader of the nation, recognized these past historical events, supported the rediscovery of his people’s ancestral traditions and fought for their sovereignty. He has since united and brought back the Kuntanawa’s pride in their indigenous identities, and continues to do so alongside co-leader and wife, Hayra Kuntanawa.
***Indigenous Communities, Environmental Organizations
Youth Climate Leaders
Youth Climate Leaders (YCL) is a global youth-driven organization that provides opportunities for youth to develop careers in climate action. Participants witness first-hand the impacts of climate change and improve their technical and leadership skills working together. Through immersive training and professional field placements, today’s youth are creating solutions for the climate crisis. YCL has trained more than 200 young individuals from 20 countries, and have reached over 1 million people through their social network.
***Youth Organizations, Young Professionals, Climate Leaders
National Organizations
AS-PTA
Agricultura Familiar e Agroecologia (AS-PTA) is an organization that focuses on training both agricultural and urban, low-income communities on how to sustainably cultivate agricultural goods following the lumen model. This organization educates these communities, via direct training with agronomists as well as connecting them to local research facilities. AS-PTA uses the principles of agroecology, where a more holistic approach is applied towards each project, in an attempt to ameliorate both the social and environmental conditions within each community.
***Conservation, Sustainable development, Agroecology
Biofábrica de Corais
Through the use of modern, inexpensive technology biofábrica has the stated goal of restoring coral reefs within Recife. All over the world coral reefs are suffering, each year becoming more and more stressed with changes in climate that heat and make ocean water more acidic. Biofábrica trains locals and scientists alike to create coral nurseries that will allow for the reestablishment of coral reefs within Porto de Galinhas, Recife.
*** Sustainable Development, Marine conservation, Conservation
Ecotropica
The Ecotropica organization is based in the Brazilian Pantanal, focusing on the conservation of all life forms within the Brazilian pantanal. The foundation’s mission statement is “to contribute towards the conservation and preservation of natural resources and the maintenance of a good quality of life in tropical Brazilian ecosystems”. Since its inception in 1989, Ecotropica has secured about 190,000 hectares of protected land, which can be divided into 4 different parks. These have been established as national parks protected by law as well as UNESCO heritage sites. In addition to the establishment of these national parks, ecotropica also actively protects this area from forest fires by training and supplying volunteers with equipment to combat the fires.
***Conservation, Forest Protection, Pantanal
Friends of the Earth - Brazil
Friends of the Earth International is the world’s largest grassroots environment network with over 73 national member groups. With over 2 million members, Friends of the Earth works to create environmentally sustainable and socially just societies. In Brazil, Amigos da Terra Brasil was founded in 1964 as a women’s organization with a strong democratic mission. They have worked on issues such as GMOs, coastal issues, water quality, climate change and forests.
***Individuals, Coastal Issues, Forest Protection
Instituto Arapyau
Arapyau is a private, non-profit institution dedicated to strengthening networks, organizations and projects that work on the front lines of promoting sustainability. Arapyau provides financial and articulation support to initiatives that align with their values and programs, such as climate change and territorial development in the south of Bahia. Arapyau values sustainability, supports organizations that want to build a sustainable world, believes in collaboration and aims to expand their positive impact on society.
*** Organizations
Instituto Clima e Sociedade
Instituto Clima e Sociedade (iCS) is a philanthropic organization that promotes prosperity, justice and low carbon development in Brazil. This organization functions as a bridge between international and national financiers and local partners. They are part of a wide network of philanthropic organizations dedicated to building solutions to the climate crisis. ICS aims to address climate problems from a social lens and works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as generate improvements to quality of life.
***Individuals, Organizations, Businesses
IPAM
Founded in 1995, IPAM is both an NGO as well as a scientific institute with the sole purpose of evaluating sustainable development within the Amazon Rainforest. This institution brings together scientists, politicians, and the general public to create valuable resources, which provide the basis for a more sustainable future for the Amazon. IPAM assesses the environmental, ecological, and social impacts of developing certain regions within the Amazon, and creates plans on how to develop areas sustainably for agriculture.
*** Sustainable development, Agriculture, Conservation
Projeto Saúde e Alegria
Projeto Saúde e Alegria (PSA) is a non-profit civil initiative that focuses on the sustainable development of traditional, vulnerable communities in the Brazilian Amazon. The foundation performs such tasks by creating lasting structures and educating able citizens to better their communities. PSA currently assists approximately 30,000 rural community residents that are located in rural communities of the Amazon such as: Santarém, Belterra, Aveiro, and Juruti in Western Pará. The foundation allows residents of poor communities to develop a number of different sectors: health and basic sanitation; land management (agrarian and environmental); social organization (citizenship and human rights); agro extractive production and income generation.
***Individuals, Sustainable development, Forest Protection, Health
SOS Mata Atlantica
Founded in 1986, SOS Mata Atlantica has the sole purpose of restoring, monitoring and protecting the most endangered biome of Brazil. The SOS Mata Atlantica foundation has achieved so much since its inception. The foundation has not only mobilized concerned citizens as well as politicians, but also created a strong monitoring project in 3429 municipalities, reforested 550 municipalities, protected 2,000,000 hectares in coastal ecosystems and planted 1000’s of hectares of land. SOS Mata Atlantica focuses on both the vegetation in the Atlantic Forest and the ecosystem as a whole, by assessing water quality, degradation to coastal ecosystems and the communities living in close proximity to forests. It is important to understand that one of Brazil’s greatest assets is its water.
***Biodiversity, Conservation, Governance, Public Participation
National Organizations
