Building on local knowledge, Runa provides training to indigenous farmers to mitigate the effects of climate change, foster biodiversity, and improve livelihoods by creating new value for forest products and increasing access to markets and economic stability.

Runa supports farmers with capacity-building workshops to create platforms for collective decision-making and management. These initiatives empower local communities to manage their own resources, improve their livelihoods, gain access to credit, restore biodiversity, and protect cultural traditions tied to their agroforestry systems. One example of this is the marketing  of  the leaves of Ilex guayusa (a tree native to the western Amazon) which are consumed for centuries by the indigenous people of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Guayusa is known for its energetic properties due to its high concentration of caffeine and antioxidants.