Ford Foundation funded 324 groups with $158.5 million for land rights and forests

Forests are more than stretches of trees for the Indigenous peoples and local communities who have lived among them for generations. They provide food, shelter and livelihoods, while also carrying cultural traditions and ancestral ties to the land. Yet securing legal rights to these territories remains a challenge in many parts of the world, even as forests play a recognised role in addressing climate change and protecting biodiversity. The Ford Foundation has directed $158.5 million towards organisations working on these issues over five years, surpassing an original $100 million commitment. Its funding has supported hundreds of organisations, including groups seeking greater control over their traditional territories and more direct access to climate-related funding.Ford Foundation exceeds its original $100 million pledgeThe funding forms part of an international effort launched at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in 2021. Governments and philanthropic organisations came together with a collective pledge of $1.7 billion to support the land rights and forest stewardship of Indigenous peoples, local communities and Afro-descendant peoples.The Ford Foundation was...