International Day of Forests
Initiated by the UN general assembly in 2012, the International Day of Forests is an annual event focused on global reforestation and conservation efforts. It is one of March awareness days happening every year.
Across the planet, people from all walks of life will be raising awareness for sustainable forest management. This is also a time when businesses will come together to make a difference.
‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’ - Ben Franklin
While reforestation through tree planting is a great practice - it takes years to see the full benefits of the effort. Alternatively, conserving and protecting existing forests has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to support our planet and its people.
Rainforest Foundation UK
Rainforest Foundation UK works in partnership with indigenous communities and local communities (IPLCs) to defend their rainforest homes. Promoting sustainable forest management, RFUK works to empower and secure land rights for IPLCs across Central and West Africa, and Latin America.
With help from their 24 in-country partner organisations - RFUK is supporting IPLCs to establish community rights over rainforest lands, tackling the root causes of deforestation and paving the way for local people to benefit fairly from the use and protection of forest resources. Since its inception in 1989, RFUK has worked together with the Rainforest Foundations of the US and Norway to secure and protect more than 84 million hectares of tropical rainforest — an area roughly the size of Scandinavia.
Businesses Supporting
There are many businesses and organisations that have chosen to support RFUK - but one of the best examples is UK-based ticketing merchant Ticket Tailor. They have sold over 17 million tickets in over 184 countries across the world. Like most businesses today, sustainability is an important company value for Ticket Tailor which become a certified B-Corp in 2022. Prior to receiving its certification, Ticket Tailor was already well into its sustainability journey.
In 2021, they started supporting conservation charities by donating £0.01 from every ticket sold on their platform. To date, they have donated £232,507 to their preferred organisations (including Rainforest Foundation UK).
Supporting Rainforest Foundation this International Day of Forests
International Day of Forests is a great opportunity to start giving back with your business. While there are many different ways for businesses to support RFUK (check out the ‘Support Us’). New tools (like RFUK’s charity fundraising partner Virtue) are making it easier than ever for online retailers to start giving.
Donate from Sales
Just like Ticket Tailor, a percentage or a fixed amount from every sale is a great way to support. Whether you are selling millions of tickets or just getting started on Shopify, this is one of the easiest ways to support rainforest conservation this year.
Dedicate an item
Growing in popularity, many stores will have a single item or collection that supports a cause. Instead of giving a smaller percentage of all orders - pick one item and dedicate it to forest conservation.
Customer Donations
Customer donations are a great way to support long-term. While we are all used to a donation box at a charity shop - customer donations can now be incorporated into every online shop in just a few minutes.
If you are looking to support Rainforest Foundation UK this year with your online store, check out Virtue and our Shopify Donation App.
