the care weyerhaeuser partnership

CARE and Weyerhaeuser are seeing to it that needy communities in Nepal get the resources and the knowledge they need to forge ahead with their lives.

CARE and Weyerhaeuser share the same environmental vision: to help communities around the world make the most of their natural resources in a way that fulfills the community's needs now and yet conserves the environment for future generations. Both organizations are dedicated to promoting sustainable forestry practices and techniques. These techniques improve people's lives by improving their ability to manage forests. This ability in turn enables individuals to earn a steady and reliable living and lift themselves out of poverty. Sustainable forestry practices ensure that forests and forest communities thrive today and tomorrow. This is why sustainable forestry is so important. CARE and Weyerhaeuser have joined forces to raise public awareness and develop better public understanding of this issue. Each partner is putting their considerable strengths, expertise and resources behind efforts to help communities flourish by using their natural resources wisely and effectively.

The partnership itself is a great match. CARE is one of the world's largest international relief and development organizations, with more than 50 years of experience helping people in the developing world to help themselves. Weyerhaeuser is a leader in the forest product industry, 100 years strong and counting, and is committed to the implementation and promotion of sustainable forestry practices that are economically and environmentally responsible. Weyerhaeuser also is committed to maintaining and improving the health and productivity of forests over the long run. Together, CARE and Weyerhaeuser are teaching sustainable forestry practices and promoting environmental stewardship in order to improve living conditions for some of the poorest communities in the world.

A view of the rugged terrain of Nepal.

The CARE/Weyerhaeuser partnership already is at work in Nepal. Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world. The United Nations Human Development Index ranks the nation among the lowest in terms of life expectancy, education and income, at 144 out of 174 countries. People make just a few dollars a day. The country's per-capita gross domestic product is approximately $180 a year. The terrain is rugged, with the Himalayan Mountain Range filling the landscape and making it extremely difficult to eke out a living. Only 18 percent of the land is fit for farming, yet more than 80 percent of Nepal's people rely on subsistence agriculture for their livelihoods. CARE and Weyerhaeuser are partners in an effort to improve the ability of the Nepalese to earn an income from their land.