In 1989, Sting and Trudie Styler backed one rainforest foundation with Chief Raoni. 4 years later, over 12 million acres of Kayapó land gained legal protection in Brazil

What started with a meeting between an Indigenous leader and supporters eventually grew into a wider effort to protect rainforests and the communities that depend on them.

In 1989, Sting, Trudie Styler and Dr. Franca Sciuto co-founded the Rainforest Foundation, with its early work focused on the Amazon region of Brazil.

The effort began after Sting met Chief Raoni of Brazil's Indigenous Kayapó people. Raoni asked for support to protect his people's traditional lands and culture. Sting promised to help the Kayapó obtain legal rights to their traditional land.


That commitment was followed by a historic achievement. In 1993, more than 12 million acres, or 4.9 million hectares, of Menkragnoti Territory, the ancestral lands of the Kayapó, received legal recognition and protection, as per Rainforest Foundation US. The physical demarcation of the Kayapó territory was carried out with Indigenous people themselves using modern technology.

Contributions and support from people around the world helped make the work possible.

The mission grew beyond Brazil

The work with the Kayapó became part of a broader mission. The organization became the Rainforest Fund and expanded its focus to rainforests around the world, supporting Indigenous Peoples and traditional rainforest populations in conserving their land and defending their rights.

In Brazil, its programs continued across multi-ethnic Indigenous territories. From 1994, Rainforest Foundation US expanded its land rights, rainforest protection and institutional strengthening programs, eventually working with Indigenous peoples and communities in other parts of Brazil and throughout the Amazon, Central America and Mexico.

Supporting local pojects

The Rainforest Fund's approach has been to support projects initiated and carried out by local NGOs and Indigenous groups.

These projects have addressed land rights, community organization, forest protection and resource inventories. They have also included legal support, human rights protection, campaigning and advocacy.

The organization's stated vision is a world where the rights of Indigenous peoples are respected and rainforests flourish. Its purpose is to help Indigenous peoples and forest communities secure their lands, protect their environment and uphold their rights.

Expanding across continents

The organization's work eventually developed across several regions. Rainforest Foundation UK focused on Africa, Rainforest Foundation Norway worked in Asia, while Rainforest Foundation US worked across the Americas.

The Rainforest Fund also worked with national and local governments, as well as the World Bank, the United Nations and the European Union.

Its work extended to countries including Belize, Kenya, Costa Rica, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bolivia, Myanmar, Ecuador, Mexico, Guyana, Honduras, Indonesia, Panama, the Philippines, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea and Peru.