Private companies, impact investors, and philanthropies are increasingly interested to support forest conservation and nature-based economies through direct partnerships with Indigenous Peoples. But until now, reliable, rights-based mechanisms to do this at scale have been lacking. Forest Guardians Invest is UNDP's effort to bridge that gap.
Hosted and managed by UNDP under the Climate Promise with support from UN-REDD, Forest Guardians Invest is a platform designed to mobilize private finance directly to Indigenous-led forest conservation and bioeconomy initiatives. It connects a curated set of companies and philanthropies with vetted opportunities in forest territories, while ensuring that partnerships are structured in full compliance with Indigenous Peoples' rights and international ESG standards.
The platform builds on years of UNDP's work alongside Indigenous forest communities across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Indigenous Peoples steward one third of the world's tropical forests, yet receive little political or financial support for this role. Forest Guardians Invest works to change that, by building a portfolio of Indigenous-led bioeconomy proposals, facilitating financial partnerships between communities and private actors, and generating knowledge to scale what works.
A pilot phase run in 2024 and 2025 demonstrated the model's potential. Partnerships brokered through the platform include: deforestation-free coffee sourced from diverse Indigenous communities in Ecuador, in partnership with Lavazza; community and school water provision in Amazonian communities that produce that coffee, supported by the Lavazza Foundation; a forest protection and restoration pilot with the Arhuaco people of Colombia, facilitated by Sacred Forests and Rituals, which was honored with the 2024 UNDP Equator Prize and led to Rituals committing a 10% profit pledge to forest conservation; the connection of Kichwa women artisans in Ecuador to global fashion brands through Rurban; and grants to Indigenous business incubators in the Amazon through the Amazon Investor Coalition.
The platform is guided by a gender-balanced, multi-stakeholder Advisory Council composed of Indigenous Peoples and entrepreneurs alongside environmental champions from private companies and philanthropic networks. UNDP applies robust social, environmental, governance, and fiduciary safeguards throughout.
Join Forest Guardians Invest
Private companies, investors, and philanthropies are invited to join the platform to scope and build financial partnerships with Indigenous organizations toward climate, biodiversity, and sustainable trade targets. UNDP will carry out a due diligence process, and a letter of intent will define the scope of cooperation, anticipated results, and timelines. A financial contribution is encouraged.
Indigenous Peoples and organizations are equally invited to engage. The platform offers a trusted gateway to international financiers and commercial markets, technical support to develop investment-ready proposals rooted in self-determined priorities, and backing to become innovators and entrepreneurs for the planet.
To join or express your interest, kindly fill out this form.
For more information or questions, please contact:
Nina Kantcheva, Global Advisor on Indigenous Peoples, UNDP