Forestwise has an agreement with the villages in Borneo, where the company will continue purchasing Illipe nuts from local farmers in exchange for the villagers’ commitment to not cut down endangered Shorea Stenoptera trees. This arrangement encourages personal ownership over the rainforest, further protecting it from monoculture plantation practices.

Forestwise currently contracts over 700 farmers in 27 different villages in Borneo to collect Illipe nuts. By working with Forestwise, an Illipe nut collector is able to earn an additional income that is 6 times his average monthly salary, within just two months. Taking into account the Illipe nut’s three-year growing season, this works out to a17% increase in annual income for the farmers, which has helped to for example fund education and home improvement needs.

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