S.C. Johnson Completes Campaign to Help Save 10,000 Acres of Amazon Rainforest

RACINE, WI — Back in 1935, H.F. Johnson Jr. led an expedition to South America to study the Carnaúba palm, whose wax was the principle ingredient in the company's products at that time. It would be a critical moment for the Racine company.

Several decades later, fourth-generation leader Sam Johnson and his sons, including fifth-generation leader Fisk Johnson, retraced the expedition made by H.F. Johnson Jr.

Today, S.C. Johnson, in partnership with Conservation International, they have completed the largest acre-for-acre match program to conserve the Amazon rainforest. SC Johnson's match campaign will help CI preserve 10,000 acres of rainforest in the Amazon region.

According to company officials, the acre-for-acre campaign was promoted in conjunction with SC Johnson's sponsorship of Under the Canopy, an immersive 360-degree virtual reality film that allows viewers to experience the wonders of the Amazon. The film, co-produced by CI and leading cinematic virtual reality company Jaunt, explores the extraordinary landscape of Amazonia guided by the indigenous people who inhabit the region and are essential to its protection. It has been seen by more than half a million viewers worldwide.

The funds from the match campaign – which garnered donations from all 50 U.S. states and 31 countries through CI's website – will be used to protect tropical forests and replant approximately 3 million trees in the Amazon region.

"We are encouraged by the public response to Under the Canopy and to support efforts to save the Amazon rainforest. It is our hope that we can continue to inspire others to help protect this vital resource for future generations," said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson.

The completion of the campaign comes as deforestation in the Amazon is on the rise. Since 2012, deforestation rates have trended upward, with a 29 percent increase last year, much of it in Brazil. Currently, the Amazon rainforest loses 3.7 million acres-per year – forests that provide habitat for 10 percent of the world's known species and that account for a significant portion of carbon dioxide absorbed by land each year.

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image via flickr commons, Torrenegra