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The Forest Conservation Fund supports community-led rainforest protection using Starling
Empowering communities to protect their rainforest home by connecting community patrol teams with deforestation alert data
Challenge
Rainforest guardians facing growing threats due to deforestation
Rainforests on the frontier of sourcing landscapes are rich in biodiversity and carbon, and urgently need protection. Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) are widely recognised as their most effective guardians.
However, these communities often lack access to funding and tools to keep their forests standing. Even when land rights are secured, illegal logging, mining, and agricultural encroachment remain ongoing threats.
Community patrol teams face real limitations. The Forest Conservation Fund (FCF) projects range from 634 to 27,747 hectares, areas too vast to monitor entirely on foot. As a result, deforestation can go undetected until it’s too late to stop further damage. With Starling and Airbus’ satellite imagery, the FCF now has access to high-resolution data that provides timely evidence of deforestation, helping communities act faster and more effectively.
Our solution
Collaboration is at the heart of the Forest Conservation Fund. They connect funding to communities through local grantees, usually NGOs that have supported communities in securing land rights.
By partnering with Starling, satellite monitoring data is shared with community patrol teams. They can then conduct ground-truthing, understand the cause of deforestation, and decide how best to respond.
Actions may include community engagement, knowledge-sharing, boundary signage, or integrating affected areas into sustainable livelihoods or restoration activities. The patrol teams can also focus more closely on areas flagged by Starling to prevent further degradation and support natural regeneration.
Rainforest conservation is about people. With the help of Starling satellite technology, communities can strengthen their protection of the forests they call home.
Benefits
Through the partnership between Starling and the Forest Conservation Fund, communities can boost their ability to detect and respond to deforestation, as well as address any related issues.
- Better data sharing: Quarterly deforestation data from Starling enables patrol teams take targeted, informed actions.
- Continued monitoring: Regular updates reveal whether deforestation continues or if the forest is regenerating.
- Support for commitments: Companies are shifting from no-deforestation policies, as well as climate and biodiversity commitments toward active rainforest protection nearby high-risk sourcing landscapes.
- Transparent reporting: Partner companies funding FCF projects benefit from transparent monitoring and reporting of deforestation alerts, along with FCF quarterly reports to harness community-led responses.
Customer testimonial
“Responsible companies are going beyond their ‘No deforestation’ commitment for their supply, by complementing with positive action to protect rainforests on the frontier of sourcing landscapes. Through FCF and our partnership with Starling and Earthworm Foundation, our community-led projects can benefit from ongoing satellite monitoring and verification. This guides timely action on the ground to address the cause of any deforestation alerts, ensuring the loss is not increased nor permanent..”
Charlotte Opal
Executive Director, Forest Conservation Fund Global
The Forest Conservation Fund is a non-profit foundation that connects funding from organisations and consumers to community-led rainforest conservation projects. Their collaborative model empowers communities by providing access to coaching, support, and tools to implement locally defined governance and conservation activities.
Earthworm Foundation is a non-profit organisation motivated by the desire to positively impact the relationship between people and nature through transforming supply chains. With much of their staff operating directly on the ground, Earthworm works jointly with member companies and partners to transform raw material value chains that drive positive economic, environmental and social impacts.
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