NGO: The Rainforest Alliance

 The rainforest alliance was founded in 1987 with a goal to promote sustainable environmental practices like farming and forestry that specifically relate to the rainforest. They want to conserve and protect the biodiversity of rainforests. The most well known way that they do this is by offering a seal of approval that companies can put on the goods they produce to let the consumer know that the products followed specific environmental and human rights rules. This seal is very sought after for companies and many consumers are more likely to buy a product if they see that seal on it then if it didn’t. This way the companies benefit from more purchases of their product if they have the seal, consumers know exactly where the materials for their products were sourced and how ethical the process was, and the natural environment of the rain forest and those who live in it don’t suffer from environmental problems or labor ones. They have a presence in over 60 different countries. What I find the most interesting about their practices is that they don’t want to stop the production of any products like that, they instead just want companies to ethically source their materials to keep the overarching rainforests in tack. This is why they choose to work with the companies themselves, forming an alliance for the rainforests. They just work with companies though, they also work with communities, consumers, governments, and civil society groups. Their method is to reward those who practice sustainability and transparency in order to create a consumer culture that is more geared towards these practices as a whole. Daniel Katz helped co-found the rainforest alliance in New York at only 24 years old with the express goal to save the world's rainforests as they house over half the world’s species. As I said earlier they don’t only focus on the environmental aspects of the rainforest but the human side of it too. The rainforest alliance also supports fair working conditions and equality for those doing the work. They help make sure fair wages are paid which help to increase the average income of those who live in and around the rainforest, those who are the most vulnerable to be taken advantage of along with their home area.