New Fund will Preserve Amazon Rain Forest

Photo By: Cristina Mittermeier/ iLCP via Conservation International

A new $8 million-fund will aid in the preservation of the land occupied by the Kayapó people of Brazil, an indigenous culture living in the Amazon rain forest.

The land they occupy is the "largest block of tropical forest protected by a single indigenous group and is encircled by increasing deforestation," according to Conservation International, which donated half the money for the new Kayapó Fund. The area has become known as the "arc of deforestation," where sometimes violent land conflicts have accompanied deforestation for ranching, agriculture, road building and other development. The Kayapó people have acted to protect their lands from encroachment, and the fund is designed to help them boost monitoring and enforcement of their borders, and help them develop ways to sustain the forest while generating income for the community. The community's main source of income comes from the gathering and processing of Brazil nuts, but they have also worked to commercialize copaiba oil, cupuaçu cupuacu fruit, honey, cocoa and mahogany seeds.

Related: How to Save Forests, Without Planting a Tree

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