Fundación Runa

About Fundación Runa

Runa Foundation looks for new ways to value tropical forests that benefit local people and the forest ecosystem. The Andes-Amazon region is one of the most biodiverse places on earth. The average acre of rainforest is home to over 2,000 different species of plants and over 5,000 species of animals. Science has only barely begun to understand what exists in these rainforests and the value these ecosystems have for the world. Unfortunately, due to the lack of understanding of the value of these forests, many tropical countries have looked for economic gains by replacing rainforests with intensive agriculture of a single species such as the soy fields of Brazil or the palm oil fields of Indonesia. However, the upper Amazon is one of the few places left with large expanses of rainforest and a strong presence of indigenous people who sustainably manage these resources. Nevertheless, agricultural investments are a critical driver of economic growth in developing countries – and are proven to be twice as effective as any other tool. But, tropical forests are being clear-cut to make way for mono-crop agriculture, and this deforestation is the leading driver of climate change in tropical countries. In the face of these challenges, Runa Foundation answers two key questions: 1) How can we create sustained value for tropical rainforests? 2) How do we ensure that local communities benefit from this new value?