The Rainforest Foundation UK

12/08/2026

RFUK has launched its first partnership in Ecuador, working with Corporación Chakra, an Indigenous-led organisation representing five Kichwa producer associations in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Together, we are introducing ForestLink and ForestEye to help communities protect forests, strengthen sustainable livelihoods and respond to growing environmental threats.

The partnership supports the traditional Kichwa chakra system, an agroforestry model that has sustained Indigenous families for generations by producing food while conserving forests and biodiversity.

Over the coming months, community monitors will map the production plots of 299 producers and consolidate information from across five associations into a single platform. This will strengthen the credibility of the Chakra Seal certification by helping demonstrate that certified products come from agroforestry systems that are free from deforestation.

The project will also help communities identify and respond to threats such as monoculture expansion and illegal mining, which are affecting forests, rivers and local governance.

This pilot marks the beginning of a broader collaboration to strengthen Indigenous-led forest stewardship and territorial governance in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

We are grateful to The Waterloo Foundation for helping make this pilot possible.

Read the full story here: https://www.rainforestfoundationuk.org/rfuk-launches-first-partnership-in-ecuador-to-help-indigenous-communities-protect-forests-and-livelihoods/

On International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, we are celebrating Indigenous leadership in forest stewardship through our new partnership with Corporación Chakra, an Indigenous-led organisation representing Kichwa communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon, supporting efforts to protect forest...

13/07/2026

This is a significant moment for the Congo Basin.

The DRC's Environment Minister has publicly committed to maintaining the country's moratorium on new industrial logging concessions, a major step towards protecting one of the world's most important tropical forests.

This announcement follows advocacy from a coalition of 70 Congolese and international organisations, including RFUK, who last week urged the government not to lift the moratorium.

Protecting the Congo Basin means protecting biodiversity, supporting the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities and helping tackle the climate crisis.

While we warmly welcome this commitment, there is still work to do. We are calling on the DRC Government to make this protection permanent by embedding it in law, strengthening forest governance, improving transparency and ensuring communities remain at the heart of forest management.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this campaign. Together, we've helped achieve an important first step and we'll continue working to ensure the Congo Basin receives the lasting protection it deserves.

Read more: https://www.rainforestfoundationuk.org/drc-environment-minister-commits-to-uphold-logging-moratorium-as-csos-call-for-lasting-protection-of-the-congo-basin/

Our organisations, members of a coalition of 70 Congolese and international organisations working to protect human rights and the environment, welcome the public statement by Marie Nyange Ndambo, Minister of the Environment, Development and New Climate Economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo...

06/07/2026

⚠️The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is considering lifting its long-standing moratorium on new industrial logging concessions, a move that could have major consequences for forests, communities and the climate.

Today, RFUK and a coalition of 70 environmental and human rights organisations have written to the Prime Minister of the DRC, calling on the government to maintain the ban and suspend any efforts to lift it.

Our new briefing, ‘Logging off: plans to lift the DRC logging moratorium threaten forest protection efforts in the Congo Basin’, warns that opening potentially tens of millions of hectares of rainforest to industrial logging would increase risks to biodiversity, accelerate forest loss and undermine the rights of local communities and Indigenous Peoples.

The DRC contains around 60% of the Congo Basin rainforest — the world's second-largest tropical forest and one of the planet's most important carbon sinks and biodiversity reserves. At a time when the country is championing community rights, conservation and climate leadership, lifting the moratorium would send the wrong signal.

We are calling on the government to:
• maintain the moratorium until legal and governance requirements are met;
• stop ongoing efforts to lift the ban;
• strengthen enforcement against illegal logging and corruption;
• support community forestry and sustainable alternatives.

The future of the Congo Basin matters to all of us.

🔗Read the briefing and stand with us in calling for stronger protection for forests and forest communities.

Read our briefing here:https://www.rainforestfoundationuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/RFUK-Briefing_ENG_FINAL.pdf
Read our letter here:https://www.rainforestfoundationuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260622_Lettre-au-Premier-ministre-RDC_Moratoire_GB_with-logos.pdf

25/06/2026

🍃 New article: Community Forest Success in North Kivu, Against All the Odds 🍃

In eastern DRC, the Masombea community has achieved a major milestone by securing legal recognition of its community forest.

Covering 14,404 hectares, the concession gives local people exclusive rights to manage and protect their customary forest lands. It is a significant step forward for community rights, sustainable livelihoods and conservation in one of the most biodiverse regions of the Congo Basin.

The forest lies alongside Maiko National Park, home to eastern lowland gorillas, okapi, chimpanzees and forest elephants. Together with neighbouring community forests, it will help create a vital buffer around the park while supporting a model of conservation that places local communities at its centre.

This achievement reflects years of work by the Masombea community and our partners PREPPYG and RCREF, with support from RFUK and Rainforest Trust.

Read the full story and learn how community-led conservation is helping secure a future for forests and people alike: https://shorturl.at/CUudE 💚

24/06/2026

🌍WE’RE HIRING: Head of External Relations 🌍

Are you a strategic communicator and fundraiser ready to lead RFUK’s external profile into our next chapter?

This is a senior leadership role helping to power our ambitious 2033 vision.

Role highlights:
- Lead fundraising and communications strategy
- Secure income from major donors, foundations and corporates
- Build RFUK’s external profile
- Craft compelling stories that drive engagement and action

💼 Position: Permanent, full-time (35hrs/week)
📍 London (hybrid)
📅 Deadline: Friday 10 July 2026 at 9AM
🔗 Apply here: https://www.rainforestfoundationuk.org/jobs/head-of-external-relations/

Please share with your network or tag someone who’d be a great fit!

To submit your application, kindly complete the online application form by 9AM, Friday 10 July. About us Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) is a values-driven organisation working with Indigenous Peoples and local communities to protect the world’s rainforests and uphold their human rights. Since ....

18/06/2026

Today we're launching RFUK's 2033 Vision: A New Era of Rainforest Protection.

At a time when the climate and biodiversity crises are accelerating, our new vision sets out how we can support Indigenous Peoples and local communities to secure, protect and thrive in their forests while driving the wider policy, technological and institutional changes needed to achieve impact at scale.

To celebrate the launch, our Executive Director Joe Eisen reflects on what has changed since RFUK was founded, why local action and system change must go hand in hand and how stronger movements, better technology and deeper partnerships can help shape the future of rainforest protection.

As Joe puts it, "Change is possible. Our partners, tools and approaches prove this is already happening. We now need to go faster, deeper and further."

Read the full Q&A and discover our vision for the next decade of rainforest protection: https://www.rainforestfoundationuk.org/2033-vision-a-new-era-of-rainforest-protection/

30/04/2026

🌟 VICTORY FOR THE RAINFOREST! We surpassed our target! 🌟

Wow.

When we launched Big Give’s Earth Raise campaign last week, we had a bold goal. We asked you to help us double donations to fight back against UK forest aid cuts.

You didn’t just meet the challenge - you exceeded it! 🚀

Thanks to hundreds of generous supporters like you, our match fund was fully utilised, meaning every single eligible pound donated was doubled.
💷 £10 became £20.
💷 £500 became £1,000.
💷 Thousands of pounds became tens of thousands for Indigenous and forest community land rights.

This isn’t just about hitting a number. It’s about what this money does:
🌳 Securing land titles for communities.
🛡️ Protecting vital biodiversity.
✊ Standing up against deforestation when government aid is falling short.

To our amazing community: Thank you. Your generosity in this final push ensured that not a single pound of match funding was left on the table. You showed up when it mattered most.

Let’s keep this momentum going. The forests need us every day, not just during match weeks.

28/04/2026

⏰ URGENT: Only 24 Hours Left to Double Your Gift! 🚨

We are in the final stretch of the Big Give Earth Raise campaign! Thank you to everyone who has donated so far - you’ve helped us double thousands of pounds for rainforest protection. 🌍💚

⚠️ Important Warning: The match fund is a fixed pot of money and will close at midday on Wednesday 29th April.

We don’t want you to miss this chance to make your support count for TWICE as much. With UK aid cuts threatening forest communities, every matched pound is vital.

👉 Click here to donate WHILE THE MATCH IS STILL AVAILABLE: https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05WS00000BqErnYAF

Please share this post! Let’s make sure every single pound of this match fund is used to protect tropical forests before time runs out. 🏃‍♂️💨

25/04/2026

🚨 URGENT UPDATE: We are halfway through our Big Give Earth Raise campaign!

Huge thank you to everyone who has donated so far! Because of you, we’ve already doubled thousands of pounds for rainforest protection. 🌍💚

But we still really need you: The match fund is a fixed pot of money and will close at midday on the 29th April. We need you to reach our target of £60,000 of precious funding for local and Indigenous communities.

⏳ Only 4 DAYS left!

We don’t want you to miss your chance to double your donation. Whether it’s £10 or £1,000, your gift counts for twice as much right now.

👉 Click here to donate while the match is still available: https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05WS00000BqErnYAF

Please share this post with your friends and family! Let’s make sure every single pound of this match fund goes to protecting our forests. 🌳

22/04/2026

🌍 THIS EARTH DAY: Your donation goes TWICE as far, starting NOW!

Today marks the start of the Big Give Earth Raise, and Rainforest Foundation UK is ready to fight back against forest aid cuts with double the power.

For the next 7 days (until 29th April), a coalition of major donors is matching every single gift we receive.

✅ £50 becomes £100
✅ £500 becomes £1,000
✅ £2,000 becomes £4,000

Why is this critical? Government funding for overseas forest protection is being slashed. This match fund allows us to fight back against the gaps that this leaves, ensuring Indigenous and local communities in the Congo Basin and Peruvian Amazon have the support and resources to protect their lands.

⏳ Important: The match fund is limited. It operates on a first-come, first-served basis. If we reach the cap early, the match ends sooner.

👉 Click here to double your donation today: https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05WS00000BqErnYAF

If you are not in a position to give, please share this post to let your friends know - every share helps us reach our target faster. 🌳💚