Aveda Donates $50K To Yawanawá People of the Amazon Rainforest

Aveda will donate $50,000 as a founding supporter of the Yawanawá Climate Adaptation plan at the “Rooted in Partnership: Advancing Climate Resilience through Indigenous Leadership” panel co-hosted by UNDP Forest Guardians Invest during United Nations General Assembly & Climate Week NYC.

Launched in July 2026, the UNDP’s Forest Guardians Invest is a platform designed to mobilize private finance directly to Indigenous-led forest conservation and bioeconomy initiatives.

The panel will feature Tashka Yawanawá, Chief of the Yawanawá People from the Rio Gregório Indigenous Territory in Acre, Brazil; Laura Yawanawá, Executive Director of the Yawanawá Sociocultural Association (ASCY); and Eric Raymond, executive director of mission and sustainability, Aveda. The discussion will be moderated by Nina Kantcheva, global advisor, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Engagement and Partnerships, Climate, Forests, and Land Unit, UNDP. The panel will surface insights and learnings from Indigenous leaders and land protectors about how long-term, rights-based partnerships can strengthen livelihoods, advance climate resilience, protect biodiversity and create sustainable economic opportunity, while showcasing the success of Aveda’s long-term partnership with the Yawanawá People of the Amazon Rainforest.

“Indigenous communities stewards nearly one third of the world’s tropical rainforests, and they are uniquely positioned to influence climate, biodiversity and sustainable land management,” said Nina Kanthcheva, global advisor, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Engagement and Partnerships, Climate, Forests, and Land Unit, UNDP. “As Forest Guardians Invest works to support conservation efforts by connecting these communities with private funding, we are proud to spotlight the innovative and impactful long-term relationship between Aveda and the Yawanawá as a best-in-class example for how brands and Indigenous peoples can work together to build a partnership that achieves climate outcomes while centering the rights, priorities and knowledge of these communities.”

Mission of Care

For over 30 years, Aveda has nurtured relationships with Indigenous communities around the world in line with the brand’s mission of care. Aveda has partnered closely with the Yawanawá since 1992 evolving beyond an initial partnership for ingredient sourcing to encompass larger community priorities and environmental stewardship. As the Yawanawá communities continue to feel the effects of climate change within their Indigenous homeland in the Amazon Rainforest, the tribe has developed the Yawanawá Climate Adaptation Plan, a community-led effort reflecting the Yawanawá’s priorities for building resilience in the face of a changing climate. Aveda’s founding grant will support the Yawanawá’s priorities and recognizes their important role as protectors and stewards of the rainforest.

“Climate resilience begins with the strength of our communities and our relationship to our land,” said Chief Tashka Yawanawá. “The Yawanawá Climate Adaptation Plan reflects our own priorities and knowledge, and it is important that Indigenous communities have the voice and authority to define the solutions that affect our future. Our partnership with Aveda has spanned more than 30 years because it has continued to evolve through shared learning and a respect for our community.”

The conversation will also explore the potential of the bioeconomy to create economic opportunity while keeping forests standing, connecting Indigenous enterprise, livelihoods, biodiversity and climate resilience. Together, the panelists will challenge business leaders to consider not simply what they can do for Indigenous communities, but how they can build partnerships with them that endure.

“For Aveda, partnership is a responsibility that is built over time. Our decades-long relationship with the Yawanawá has taught us that meaningful partnership starts with listening, respecting Indigenous leadership and supporting priorities defined by the community itself,” said Shane Wolf, Aveda Global Brand President. “Bringing this conversation to Climate Week is an opportunity to share what we have learned and to challenge our industry to think differently about how business can contribute to resilient communities, thriving ecosystems and a more responsible future. This is Aveda’s mission of care in practice: care for the world we live in, care for the communities connected to it, and care for the natural resources on which beauty depends.”