Fundecor - Fundación para el Desarrolio de la Cordillera Volcánica Central

PRESS RELEASE

COSTA RICAN GROUP WINS 2000 KING BAUDOUIN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRIZE

Brussels, May 11, 2001 - The 2000 King Baudouin International Development Prize will be awarded to the Costa Rican organization, Fundación Para el Desarrollo de la Cordillera Volcánica Central (FUNDECOR), for its environmental protection of the region's tropical forests using market forces, advanced research, and improved public policies.

The Prize will be awarded May 14th, 2001, at the Royal Palace in Brussels in the presence of His Majesty the King of Belgium. Kofi A. Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, will present brief remarks.

FUNDECOR was nominated for the King Baudouin International Development Prize, by James Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank, and Peter Woicke, Executive Vice President of the International Finance Corporation, the Bank's private sector investment arm.

"FUNDCOR has developed an excellent model that clearly demonstrates how conservation and economic development can co-exist in harmony," said World Bank President Wolfensohn in advance of the Prize ceremony.

Tropical forests are the main supporters of the world's biodiversity, and home to close to 70% of known and unknown species. The loss of tropical forests, i.e. deforestation, constitutes one of the most serious threats to biodiversity on earth, and could cause unknown effects on global climate. Between 1990 and 1995, the loss of tropical forests amounted to over 200,000 sq. km. worldwide.

A non-governmental organization, FUNDECOR was established in 1989 through international co-operation to reduce deforestation in the Cost Rican Central Volcanic Range. At that time, the rate of deforestation was 7% per year, halving the region's natural forest in less than 10 years. Today 450 farmers owning 40% of the total forest in the area are part of FUNDECOR's programs. Recent satellite images and state of the art computer technology show a significant reversal of deforestation in the area. FUNDECOR´s programmes include a Sustainable Forest Management Programme (under Forest Stewardship Council certification), a Reforestation Programme (including a system of wood futures that provides farmers a cash flow commensurate with what might be gained from other land uses, implemented with the help of the International Finance Corporation), and an Environmental Education Programme.

Since 1980, the King Baudouin International Development Prize has awarded ?150,000 biennially to an individual or organization for sustainable achievements in improving the lives of people in the developing world. The diverse list of past Prize winners covers a broad spectrum of fields, including adult literacy, micro-credit, HIV/AIDS, landlessness, food supply, and vaccine development. The Prize selection process emphasizes the multiplier effect of the proposed initiatives, and the opportunities they give to the people they serve to take control of their own development. For more information, go to www.kbprize.org.

"FUNDECOR is a clear example of an organization that, in the process of addressing vital local environmental problems, has designed and implemented innovative and effective market solutions with a strong and widespread global impact," wrote Peter Woicke in his nomination of FUNDECOR for the Prize.