To feed the demands of a burgeoning and protein-hungry middle class, projected unchecked agriculture production could result in the global loss of natural vegetation to pasture and cropland by 2050 of four to seven million square kilometers—an area between the size of California and Australia.
This projected production would come mostly at the expense of tropical forests and savannas, their irreplaceable biodiversity and the local and global ecosystem services they provide. But we believe a more systemic solution can play a critical role, at the needed scale, in conserving these critical ecosystems.
Together with our grantees, we’re engaging with the private sector and focusing on soy and beef production—in the Brazilian Amazon and Cerrado, and the Chaco in Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia—to shift practices towards improved agricultural production of these globally traded commodities. Our grantees are setting improved sourcing standards, establishing effective and verifiable traceability systems, and encouraging the adoption of better production practices for soy and beef. Ultimately, we believe this work will contribute to the elimination of the loss and degradation of Earth’s tropical and sub-tropical forest ecosystems.
Please note that we do not accept unsolicited proposals. Because of our tightly-defined grantmaking strategies, many worthwhile projects fall outside the scope of our initiatives. However, if you have thoughts or inquiries related to our work that you would like to share, you may send us a brief, ~100-word email. Please understand that due to the volume of inquiries we receive, we are only able to commit to reviewing those inquiries that adhere to the ~100-word guideline.