AmazoniAlerta - the strive to combat illegal deforestation

James Wilcox, our head of private offices, has taken on the role of Chair of the Development Committee for AmazoniAlerta in the UK in a pro-bono capacity.

AmazoniAlerta’s UK arm fundraises for Instituto AmazoniAlerta, a Brazilian NGO (non governmental organisation). Now in its second year of operations Instituto AmazoniAlerta works with traditional peoples and communities in Brazil to advance the legal defence of their lands and rights and fight illegal deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest.



Much of the world’s healthiest, remaining forests are located in protected Indigenous lands. Strengthening Indigenous peoples’ land rights and legal agency is one of the most effective and efficient ways to combat deforestation globally. Sadly the global rate of primary forest loss remains extremely high and protected Indigenous lands in the Amazon are being constantly illegally invaded by farmers who appropriate land, miners, poachers and other interlopers.

AmazoniAlerta helps mitigate this destruction in the areas in which it operates by maximising the agency of Indigenous communities with local law enforcement and in national and international legal systems. The organisation combines Indigenous Environmental Agents who gather evidence of illegal land invasions in vulnerable Indigenous territories with a dedicated legal team who act on the information gathered by the agents, lobbying law enforcement to take action and engaging in relevant legal actions.



AmazoniAlerta has helped close down one major illegal logging operation in the and is currently involved in two major cases before the Brazilian Supreme Court that seek to strengthen Indigenous lands and rights.


I am delighted to join AmazoniAlerta’s outstanding team and support them in their critical work to advance the rights of Indigenous communities and protect the Amazon rainforest, one of the world’s last great remaining wildernesses

James Wilcox


Additionally, to support long-term strengthening of legal capacity for Indigenous communities and rights organisations, AmazoniAlerta has launched a program to support Indigenous law students focused on human rights and environmental issues through law school in Brazil and a series of advanced workshops and seminars for Indigenous lawyers.

The organisation was co-founded by Nick Hackworth, longstanding partner to the Floreat team and curator of Modern Forms, along with the NGO ambassadors, actor Benedict Cumberbatch and director Sophie Hunter. The organisation is supported by a grant from The Rainforest Fund, which, founded by Sting and Trudie Styler, has been supporting Indigenous organisations for 35 years and private donors.


For more information please visit https://www.amazonialerta.org/ and if you would like information on supporting please email nick@amazonialerta.org.



Images: Top/hero: AmazoniAlerta's team of environmental agents

Gallery 1

1. AmazoniAlerta: image of law enforcement action against illegal logging operation in Araribóia initiated by AmazoniAlerta agents, 2. AmazoniAlerta: One of two chainsaws found and confiscated during the Jan24 expedition, 3. Unsplash.com: Madre de Dios, Peru 

Gallery 2

1. Location of AmazoniAlerta Teams, 2. AmazoniAlerta: Image of law enforcement action against an illegal logging operation in Araribóia initiated by AmazoniAlerta agents, 3. AmazoniAlerta: Evidence of illegal cattle ranch.

Gallery 3

1. AmazoniAlerta's team of environmental agents