A farmer in Pinal de Amoles, Querétaro, Mexico, harvests organic vegetables based on holistic soil management training from MCFA grantee, Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda.

On October 19, 2017, the Board of Directors of the Mitsubishi Corporation Foundation for the Americas (MCFA) approved new grants that promote sustainable business practices, watershed conservation and energy efficiency, through science, innovation, and multi-stakeholder partnerships. 

The new grants include additional funding to  Equitable Origin, to continue engaging Mexican academic institutions in environmental and social impact assessment processes, as part of a broader effort to improve the social performance of businesses involved in energy resource development in Mexico and beyond; and to Fair Trade USA, to improve labor conditions and environmental protections for farmworkers in North America.  The Board also approved new grants to: Conservation International to engage urban stakeholders in watershed conservation in Bogota, Colombia; the Pembina Foundation in Canada for an innovative, multi-stakeholder energy retrofit initiative for social housing in Vancouver, British Columbia; and NatureServe, for the development of a web-based portal to disseminate scientific data to support more effective conservation and environmental policymaking, as well as more sustainable business operations, in and around the Gulf of Mexico. 

The MCFA board also ratified continuing grants to: Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda, to train small-holder farmers, ranchers, and technicians in holistic soil management and production processes in Mexico; Mitacs, to engage Canadian First Nations, the private sector, and the University of British Columbia in the development of an online tool to build capacity of First Nations in responding to resource development proposals; Rainforest Alliance, to work with indigenous communities in the Madre de Diosregion of the southern Amazon Basin in Peru to strengthen forest-based livelihoods and sustainable forest management through the introduction of  ‘green’ financing products; and  the Wildlife Conservation Society in support of the Amazon Waters Initiative, to improve fisheries management and strengthen the management and monitoring of wildlife and habitat in two key watersheds in the Amazon.

The Foundation’s mission encompasses biodiversity conservation, environmental education, environmental justice and sustainable development, and it is but one of several means through which Mitsubishi Corporation is proactively working to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (adopted by the UN in 2015).

The Mitsubishi Corporation Foundation for the Americas, based in New York City was established 1991 with funding from Mitsubishi Corporation of Japan, and its U.S.-based subsidiary, Mitsubishi International Corporation. The Foundation is currently supported by Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas).  Since its establishment, the Foundation has dedicated over $10 million to environmental causes throughout the Americas.

 Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) is a global integrated business enterprise that develops and operates businesses across virtually every industry, including industrial finance, energy, metals, machinery, chemicals, and daily living essentials. MC’s current activities have expanded far beyond its traditional trading operations to include investments and business management in diverse fields including natural resources development, manufacturing of industrial goods, retail, new energy, infrastructure, finance and new technology-related businesses. With over 200 offices and subsidiaries in approximately 90 countries worldwide and a network of over 1,200 group companies, MC employs a multinational workforce of over 70,000 people. MC provides philanthropic contributions through a variety of channels, including donations to the MCFA and its sister charity the Mitsubishi Corporation Fund for Europe and Africa (MCFEA). 

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Mitsubishi Corporation Foundation for the Americas

Mitsubishi Corporation Foundation for the Americas

The Mitsubishi Corporation Foundation for the Americas, based in New York City was established 1991 with funding from Mitsubishi Corporation of Japan, and its U.S.-based subsidiary, Mitsubishi International Corporation. Since its establishment, the Foundation has contributed over $12 million to environmental causes throughout the Americas. We have funded over 100 projects in more than 15 countries, focusing on four themes: biodiversity conservation, environmental education, environmental justice, and sustainable development.

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