{"id":5976,"date":"2023-11-06T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=5976"},"modified":"2023-11-06T07:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-11-06T15:00:00","slug":"accion-andina-tree-planting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/stories\/accion-andina-tree-planting\/","title":{"rendered":"The Fight of a Lifetime: Salesforce Partners with Indigenous Activist to Combat Climate Change"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Editor\u2019s Note: This feature story was developed and written by one of Salesforce\u2019s 2023 summer interns, Samantha Elizondo. On Nov. 7, 2023,\u00a0Acci\u00f3n Andina<\/a>\u00a0was announced as a recipient of the\u00a02023 Earthshot Prize<\/a>\u00a0honoring the year’s most innovative solutions to the world\u2019s greatest environmental challenges.<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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While studying biology in Cusco, Peru, Constantino \u201cTino\u201d Aucca witnessed an urgent environmental crisis unfolding. Expanding agricultural practices, illegal logging, and devastating fires were creating massive upheaval for the people of Peru\u2019s Quechuan region<\/a>, threatening their food supply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Quechuan region is one of many places in South America, and the world at large, facing the devastating reality of global warming<\/a>. Seeing what was happening both at home and globally, Aucca decided to act. He founded Asociaci\u00f3n Ecosistemas Andinos<\/a>, a nonprofit dedicated to conserving endangered species and threatened Andean ecosystems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that was only the beginning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aucca, which means \u201cwarrior\u201d in his native Quechua language, has a fitting name for the long-term fight that\u2019s required to help save the planet. Since starting that first nonprofit, he has since dedicated three decades of his life to the cause that his last name embodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Aucca, which means \u201cwarrior\u201d in his native Quechua language, has a fitting name for the long-term fight that\u2019s required to help save the planet.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Today, Aucca serves as president of another initiative \u2013 Acci\u00f3n And<\/a>ina<\/a>. Founded in 2018 by Asociaci\u00f3n Ecosistemas Andinos and the global NGO Global Forest Generation<\/a>, Aucca and Acci\u00f3n Andina\u2019s current focus is on conservation and restoration of trees, and community-building in Peru’s Quechuan region and South America at large. It has an impressive network of 25,000 volunteers in 99 communities across five Andean countries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conservation, reforestation, and community building<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A few years ago, in 2020, Aucca\u2019s admirable work and passionate presence caught the eye of sustainability leaders at Salesforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the heart of Aucca’s unwavering dedication is the Incan phrase “Ayni and Minka,” signifying the power of working together for the common good. This ethos closely aligns with Salesforce’s values<\/a> and culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2020, Salesforce co-founded 1t.org<\/a>, an ambitious initiative to protect the world’s forests. 1t.org seeks to unite governments, companies, NGOs, and individuals to conserve, restore, and grow one trillion trees by the end of the decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By partnering with ecopr<\/a>e<\/a>neurs<\/a> like Acci\u00f3n Andina, Salesforce aims to make a substantial contribution to 1t.org\u2019s critical reforestation mission. Aucca is confident that Acci\u00f3n Andina, which has planted nearly 10 million trees, including more than 800,000 on behalf of Salesforce, with the help of Indigenous community members<\/a>, \u201ccan help the company achieve its commitment to the trillion trees global movement because we have the volume that everybody’s expecting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aucca is referring to the volume of support from the locals living in regions of South America who have been adversely affected by climate change. These are the people on the ground who are eager to learn more about sustainability and help restore native forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n