2024
A YEAR OF INQUIRY
2024
A YEAR OF INQUIRY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Mission
Letter from Our Founders
Work in the Amazon
Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance
A Year of Inquiry
Programs and Events
Financials
Gratitude
Our Mission
To partner with Indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest to preserve their lands and culture and, using insights gained from that work, to educate and inspire individuals everywhere to bring forth a thriving, just and sustainable world.
Dear Friends,
As we reflect on 2024, we are filled with deep gratitude and appreciation for each one of you who has journeyed alongside us this year.
Our work continued to provide partnership and support to our Indigenous partners who are leading innovative solutions for a sustainable and thriving Amazon rainforest. We expanded all our initiatives, from the inspiring work of the Ikiama Nukuri program—strengthening maternal health and uplifting Indigenous women—to the many groundbreaking achievements of our Indigenous partners in defending and regenerating the Amazon rainforest.
2024 was also a year of deep inquiry—inquiry into how to bridge the gap between the magnitude of the “meta-crisis” facing humanity and what is being done to address it, and how we might build “the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible.”
Clearly, this is a profound question. As we look ahead to 2025 and beyond, we are inspired by the possibilities that lie before us to address this question together. We are deeply grateful for your partnership in this sacred work and invite you to continue your journey with us.
With love and gratitude,
Bill and Lynne Twist
Co-founders of Pachamama Alliance
Stewards of the Amazon
Through a 28-year partnership with Fundación Pachamama, our sister organization in Ecuador, we collaborate with Indigenous communities in the Ecuadorian and Peruvian Amazon to protect and restore one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth.
By conserving ancestral lands, promoting sustainable economies, and advocating for the rights of nature and people, we honor the Amazon’s legacy as a global lifeline and a wellspring of cultural and ecological wisdom.
“All human beings need the Amazon, and the commitment must be collective. Indigenous peoples alone will not solve this problem. We will succeed by joining forces and working together.”
INDIGENOUS LEADER, ACHUAR NATION
Uyunkar Domingo Peas Nampichkai
Key Initiatives
Bioeconomy & Indigenous Innovation
Fundación Pachamama supports Indigenous communities in cultivating a regenerative bioeconomy rooted in ancestral wisdom and modern innovation. These initiatives uplift local families, protect forest ecosystems, and offer a model for sustainable growth worldwide.
Our Approach:
- Protect natural resources
- Support local communities
- Foster sustainable livelihoods
- Create a blueprint for global sustainability
Our Impact:
- Supported 54 bioenterprises across four Amazonian regions
- Developed 41 product prototypes, with 29 now being sold or distributed to consumers and buyers
Global Recognition
The initiative gained international attention at COP16 and Salon du Chocolat (Paris), while our partnership with Ikiam University launched the region’s first Bioeconomy Diploma program, nurturing Indigenous entrepreneurs.
"Our biggest reward is the light in the eyes and smile on the faces of the farmers and entrepreneurs we support."
BIOECONOMY CONSULTANT
Ignacio Araya
1,057
vanilla flowers pollinated and 46 kg of vanilla
harvested at Casa Vainilla.
61
students trained at the Vanilla School, preserving traditional knowledge.
100
organic banana and cassava farms established, promoting sustainability.
737
chakras (family gardens) sustaining more than 320 people; 50% women.
66
Waorani families processed 31,000 kg of morete, earning $7,047.
Climate Finance & Biodiversity
Fundación Pachamama and Indigenous communities are redefining climate finance by developing models that go beyond carbon credits—ensuring conservation efforts protect ecosystems, preserve cultural heritage, and uphold Indigenous governance.
Advancing Global and Local Advocacy
- Policy Impact: Evaluated Ecuador’s Environmental Code reforms to strengthen environmental protections.
- Global Advocacy: Partnered with GFLAC (Climate Finance Group for Latin America and the Caribbean) to advance climate finance transparency and represented the Amazon at COP16.
- Capacity Building: Trained Indigenous leaders on climate finance and biodiversity through Peoples Forests Partnership (PFP) workshops.
- Innovative Funding: Advanced the Amazon Bioregional Financial Facility to align funding with Indigenous-led conservation efforts.
- Certification: Achieved Ecuador Zero Carbon Certification and contributed to REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) 2025 efforts.
- Research & Strategy: Published findings on biodiversity finance and developed a strategic roadmap for long-term impact.
Advancing Global and Local Advocacy
POLICY IMPACT
Evaluated Ecuador’s Environmental Code reforms to strengthen environmental protections.
GLOBAL ADVOCACY
Partnered with GFLAC to advance climate finance transparency and represented the Amazon at COP16.
CAPACITY BUILDING
Trained Indigenous leaders on climate finance and biodiversity through Peoples Forests Partnership workshops.
INNOVATIVE FUNDING
Advanced the Amazon Bioregional Financial Facility to align funding with Indigenous-led conservation efforts.
CERTIFICATION
Achieved Ecuador Zero Carbon Certification and contributed to REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) 2025 efforts.
RESEARCH & STRATEGY
Published findings on biodiversity finance and developed a strategic roadmap for long-term impact.
2024 Impact
- 10,000 hectares safeguarded by the Achuar.
- Transparent credit tracking via blockchain, ensuring accountability.
- $43,500 raised from credit sales so far, directly supporting Indigenous-led conservation.
- Potential to expand across 30 million hectares in the Sacred Headwaters.
2024 Impact
- 10,000 hectares safeguarded by the Achuar.
- Transparent credit tracking via blockchain, ensuring accountability.
- $43,500 raised from credit sales so far, directly supporting Indigenous-led conservation.
- Potential to expand across 30 million hectares in the Sacred Headwaters.
Biocultural Crediting: Rethinking Conservation
Our Biocultural Crediting Pilot offers an innovative alternative to traditional carbon offsets—valuing Indigenous communities’ role in biodiversity and providing financial incentives for their conservation efforts.
The model goes beyond CO2 reduction, recognizing the vital link between forests, culture, and Indigenous sovereignty—and benefiting both nature and communities.
2024 Impact
- 10,000 hectares safeguarded by the Achuar.
- Transparent credit tracking via blockchain, ensuring accountability.
- $43,500 raised from credit sales so far, directly supporting Indigenous-led conservation.
- Potential to expand across 30 million hectares in the Sacred Headwaters.
Ecotourism & Human Footprint
Indigenous-owned ecotourism projects in the Amazon encourage forest protection, cultural preservation, and support local economies, with revenue funding education, healthcare, and environmental stewardship.
Fundación Pachamama and Pachamama Alliance both directly support several local tourism projects in Ecuador’s Amazon region. The most prominent are:
Kapawi Ecolodge (in Achuar territory)
Innovation in Sustainability
- Solar Canoe: Reduced carbon emissions and operational costs; recognized with the National Energy Globe Award.
- Clean Water Access: Piloted Israeli NUF technology (natural ultrafiltration) to provide safe drinking water in remote areas.
- Global Recognition: Named one of the top five outstanding environmental destinations by the United Nations.
Stewards of the Amazon
Through a 28-year partnership with Fundación Pachamama, our sister organization in Ecuador, we collaborate with Indigenous communities in the Ecuadorian and Peruvian Amazon to protect and restore one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth.
By conserving ancestral lands, promoting sustainable economies, and advocating for the rights of nature and people, we honor the Amazon’s legacy as a global lifeline and a wellspring of cultural and ecological wisdom.
All human beings need the Amazon, and the commitment must be collective. Indigenous peoples alone will not solve this problem. We will succeed by joining forces and working together.
Uyunkar Domingo Peas Nampichkai
Indigenous Leader, Achuar Nation
