If we are to encourage strong economies and greater health and social welfare, we must recognize the environment as essential to our long-term existence. Moreover, in the developing world it means working with farmers whose lives are closely tied to the cycles of the natural world. While CARE's agriculture and natural resources management projects are concerned with problems such as poor soil quality, soil erosion, deforestation, pesticide contamination and unreliable rainfall, our responses to these problems are designed to significantly improve the living conditions of poor farm families. And because strong sustained agricultural production requires maintaining and protecting the soil, water, forest and wildlife, farmers are more likely to conserve the environment - building not only sustainability for the environment but also for their own livelihoods far into the future. Through environmental education and training, CARE teaches children and adults that a healthy environment helps create a healthy life.
CARE operates environmental projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
In 2000, CARE's tree planting and other activities protected 708,947 acres, while 560,361 acres were protected by soil and water conservation activities.