Statement on Gaucho Partnership and Not For Sale’s Commitment to People and Planet

In recent media coverage, questions have been raised about Gaucho’s decision to withdraw from a previously announced carbon offset partnership with Not For Sale. We want to take this opportunity to clarify the facts and reaffirm our ongoing commitment to sustainability and human dignity.

Not For Sale is a global nonprofit working at the intersection of human rights and environmental stewardship. For nearly two decades, our programs have supported more than 450,000 people affected by human trafficking and environmental destruction across 12 countries. Together with local communities, we have planted tens of thousands of trees and conserved over 750 square miles of rainforest, while building economic systems that create opportunity and protect the most vulnerable.

Our relationship with Gaucho and its parent company Rare Restaurants spans nearly a decade. It was a formal institutional partnership, governed by written agreements, it was not a personal arrangement, as current management has suggested.

Through this collaboration, Gaucho funded Not For Sale’s global tree-planting and carbon-offset initiatives. Over the lifetime of our partnership, we collectively:

• Planted 54,399 trees
• Reforested 54.91 hectares of degraded land
• Captured 13,304.37 tonnes of CO₂
• Delivered 17 different reforestation projects across 14 countries

These outcomes were reported annually to Gaucho’s Impact Director and senior leadership, ensuring transparency and accountability for every tree planted and every tonne of carbon offset.

This partnership remained active and in good standing until the 2024 account came due, when Gaucho’s new leadership chose to withhold payment and discontinue the program. That decision halted direct support for environmental restoration and community-empowerment projects designed to reduce carbon emissions and fight exploitation.Statement from David Batstone, Co-founder and President of Not For Sale:

“This isn’t simply a contractual issue, it is a moral one. Gaucho built a public narrative around their partnership with Not For Sale, linking their dining experience to the protection of the planet and the fight against exploitation. To withdraw funding after promoting that partnership to customers undermines the integrity of purpose-driven business. We hope Gaucho will reconsider, make good on their promise, and ensure their actions reflect the values they claim to uphold.”

When businesses link marketing claims to sustainability outcomes, they carry a moral and operational responsibility to uphold those promises. Walking away from such commitments impacts real people: indigenous harvesters, farmers, and families who rely on these funds for reforestation, education, and livelihood security.

Not For Sale remains steadfast in building a world free from exploitation and ecological collapse.

We will continue partnering with companies that demonstrate true sustainability through accountability, transparency, and verified impact. Every partnership we form is designed to restore ecosystems, strengthen communities, and prove that ethical business can out-create injustice.

Learn more about our global impact.

Consider a gift to support our work.