Mission

Forest Trends is an international non-profit organization that works to expand the value of forests to society; to promote sustainable forest management and conservation by creating and capturing market values for ecosystem services; to support innovative projects and companies that are developing these new markets; and to enhance the livelihoods of local communities living in and around those forests. We analyze strategic market and policy issues, catalyze connections between forward-looking producers, communities and investors, and develop new financial tools to help markets work for conservation and people.

Forest Trends objectives are to accelerate the evolution of economic systems in which:

• Commerce sustains forest ecosystem services (i.e., watershed protection, biodiversity)
• Companies that manage forest ecosystems in a sustainable fashion receive market recognition, and
• An equitable share of the benefits generated from forest-based commerce is returned to local communities

To this end, Forest Trends has organized its work around three goals that also serve as the structure for our program work .

• Accelerating the development of markets for forest ecosystem services;
• Expanding markets and investments that encourage improved forest management and increased transparency and due diligence in forest trade and investment
• Promoting markets and investments that improve livelihoods of forest communities