For 24 years, AIRES has utilized the expertise of indigenous Maya forestry professionals to support more than 130 low-income communities in Guatemala’s Chimaltenango province to fight erosion and prevent deadly mudslides, improve food crops and nutrition, and prevent lung disease. Working hand in hand with community members, AIRES promotes sustainable farming methods and environmental education programs, builds efficient stoves, and has planted almost 5 million trees. Almost 3,000 farmers, 70 percent of them women, have been trained by indigenous peers, 200 nurseries established, and 860 cook stoves built.

Key Facts 

Equator Prize Winner: 2017

Founded: 1993

Location: Chimaltenango, Guatemala

Biodiversity: Forests, mountains

Case study

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