“20 years ago, I was alone, starving in the Amazon rainforest. I realized then that if things didn’t change – if I didn’t change – I would die alone here in the forest. That’s when I met you. That’s when I met Not For Sale,” explains Martín Flores, President of AFIMAD Cooperative.

It’s hard to forget words like those. And harder still to forget where they were spoken – deep in the Madre de Dios region of the Peruvian Amazon. Surrounded by towering canopies and the endless hum of life, Martín Flores wasn’t just telling us a story. He was opening a window into the resilience of his people, and into the origins of a powerful partnership built to last.

When we first met Martín, he was trapped in a cycle of indentured servitude. He had unknowingly accepted an illegal debt and was forced to harvest Brazil nuts in the Amazon to survive. If he failed to meet quotas demanded by middlemen in the supply chain, he faced being consigned to the region’s illegal gold mines – dangerous operations that devastated both human lives and the surrounding ecosystem.

He wasn’t alone. Dozens of other Indigenous people from the region had been drawn into the same trap, enduring the toxic fallout of mercury-contaminated rivers and vanishing wildlife. The very forest they called home was being poisoned around them.

That’s when AFIMAD was born.

What Is AFIMAD?

AFIMAD (short for Asociación Forestal Indígena de Madre de Dios) is a cooperative of Indigenous communities working together to manage and protect their ancestral lands. The co-op promotes sustainable forest use in the Amazon and fights against the twin threats of deforestation and exploitation.

Supported initially by Not For Sale, and then later by partners like NESsT and the World Wildlife Fund, AFIMAD gives local people the means to operate forest-based enterprises on their own terms by harvesting Brazil nuts, protecting biodiversity, and defending their territories from illegal mining and logging. It’s not charity alone, it’s dignity through shared ownership and agency.

What is this Amazon cooperative?

A cooperative is a business owned and democratically run by the people it benefits. In the case of AFIMAD, it means Indigenous communities retain control of their land and resources, sharing profits and decision-making responsibilities equally. This model strengthens local economies and resists exploitation by design.

Why it matters in the Amazon

Martín’s story reveals a truth we’ve seen again and again: exploitation rarely exists in isolation. It intertwines with environmental destruction in the Amazon, loss of autonomy, and broken supply chains.

That’s why Not For Sale’s mission isn’t just about rescuing human trafficking victims, it’s about transforming the systems that allow it to persist. By standing alongside leaders like Martín and supporting cooperative businesses like AFIMAD, we help restore what has been taken: safety, sustainability, and self-determination.

What you can do

Cooperatives such as AFIMAD don’t just need applause. They need action. Your donation helps fund vital training, resources, and legal support so Indigenous communities can defend their land, build local enterprises, and shape their future.

As Martín said:

“It is only through friendship, a global family, that we can not just survive, but thrive.”

Donate today to invest in Indigenous leadership, environmental justice, and a future where no one is for sale.