The Amazon rainforest, one of the most biodiverse places on earth, plays an essential role in protecting the planet from harmful greenhouse gas emissions and rising temperatures. At Global Greengrants Fund, we invest in defenders of the Amazon – Indigenous Peoples, farmers, and local communities who depend on the forest for survival and aim to protect it from the increasing threats of deforestation.
This is why we were so pleased to be included in The Guardian and Observer annual charity appeal with the main goal of raising funds to protect trees around the world. And today we’re proud to announce that thanks to people across the UK and the globe, approximately £1m was raised for tree charities, including Global Greengrants Fund.
“Global Greengrants Fund UK and our partners in Brazil are truly overwhelmed by the generosity and solidarity of the readers of the Guardian and Observer” said Eva Rehse, Executive Director of Global Greengrants Fund UK. “More than anything, it gives us hope that we can tackle the collective challenge of the climate crisis together. The funds raised will go directly to Indigenous communities in the Amazon who are at the frontlines of protecting and restoring the rainforest. Your support is an act of generosity for the entire planet, and for future generations everywhere.”
Over the course of December 2019 and January 2020, The Guardian shared three articles about Global Greengrants Fund grantees in the Brazilian Amazon. The first article featured beekeepers deep in the rainforest, and discussed the important role that these stingless insects play when it comes to providing the locals with viable economic alternatives to selling their land for development.
Maria Leusa Munduruku was the focus of the second article. An Indigenous and women’s rights activist, Maria Leusa has led campaigns to halt the invasion and destruction of the Tapajós river basin by polluters, loggers and dam builders.
The third article featured a cooperative in the village of Surucua, Brazil, where the locals have constructed a solar-powered fruit pulping factory which provides the community with a sustainable source of income, funded in part by Global Greengrants Fund.
Money raised through the recent charity appeal will be used to continue to support projects such as these in Brazil and others throughout the Amazon rainforest. We’d like to express our gratitude to The Guardian and Observer for including us in their appeal, and to all those who donated for their dedication and support. Together, we are where change takes root.
Photo by Attilio Zolin