Conservation Strategy Fund is an international organization that uses the power of economics to support environmental conservation. We conduct rigorous analyses and offer a world-class capacity building program to improve decision-making for the benefit of both people and nature. 

CSF started out in 1998 analyzing infrastructure projects in the Andes-Amazon. At that time, conservation organizations were not quantifying the true cost of such projects, nor the benefits provided by the unique Amazon ecosystem, and we stepped in to fill that niche. Since then, we have grown to work on a much broader set of issues including incentives for sustainable land management, the relationship between protected areas and local economies, and how tourism can generate funding for conservation. 

Our process starts with identifying an opportunity to address a market failure or unsustainable use of natural resources and then talking with stakeholders and potential funders to develop a strategy to address the problem. Our approach often includes a combination of stakeholder workshops, analyses, and capacity building. We also offer fellowships whereby we identify rising leaders in the conservation community and mentor them through an economic or policy analysis.  We work closely with governments, NGOs, universities, and other stakeholders in-country to ensure that our projects are relevant and timely. 

CSF has offices in Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Indonesia, and the United States including our headquarters in Washington, DC.

Conservation Economic Video Lessons

CSF’s conservation economics video lessons are designed for those who want to learn - or review - the basic economics of conservation. 

Series include: