Beto Borges
Meet Beto
NGO Leader
California, United States
Beto Borges is Director of the Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative at Forest Trends, where he mobilizes climate and conservation finance for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities worldwide. With four decades of experience in territorial governance, sustainable development, and Indigenous rights, he builds partnerships that secure land tenure, strengthen governance systems, and channel resources directly to communities leading climate solutions.
Areas of activity:
Indigenous Communities
About:
Beto Borges is an internationally recognized leader in climate and conservation finance, with more than 40 years of experience working alongside Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to protect ancestral territories, strengthen self-determined governance, and expand access to equitable funding. As Director of the Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative at Forest Trends, he designs and leads partnerships that advance Indigenous-led climate strategies, develop sustainable value chains, and shape legal and policy frameworks grounded in cultural integrity and autonomy.
Beto’s work has helped pioneer landmark initiatives, including the first Indigenous Suruí REDD+ Project to receive double validation under the CCBA and VCS standards, the Indigenous Subprogram for the State of Acre’s System of Incentives for Environmental Services (SISA), and multi-million-dollar, multi-country programs funded by USAID to benefit forest communities in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Central America, and Mexico. His approach integrates advocacy, economic self-determination, and capacity building to ensure resources reach communities where they have the greatest impact.
Before joining Forest Trends in 2005, Beto held leadership and program roles at the Goldman Environmental Foundation, Shaman Pharmaceuticals, and Rainforest Action Network, where he led Amazon campaigns and supported rubber tapper and Indigenous movements in establishing Brazil’s Extractive Reserves. Originally from São Paulo and now based in California, he works in Portuguese, Spanish, and English, and collaborates across Latin America, Africa, and beyond.
Involvment:
Forest Trends
Together with partners around the world, Forest Trends pioneers innovative finance for conservation, promoting healthy forests, sustainable agriculture, clean water, robust climate action, biodiverse landscapes, and strong communities.