Peru pilot links cash payments to rainforest-friendly practices

Wall Street Turkish - International (English) · Oct 20, 2026 · 1m

A two-year pilot program providing unconditional cash to Indigenous communities in the Asháninka region of Peru was associated with actions that helped protect the rainforest, according to a University of Bath study. Managed by the UK-based charity Cool Earth, the initiative provided 211 people across three communities with six payments of 1,032 Peruvian soles each—approximately equal to two pounds per day—to use freely. The research found that nearly 90 percent of participants adopted practices such as replanting trees, restoring water sources, and reducing forest burning. Food insecurity…