Africa is at a tipping point. By 2050, one in four young people on the planet will be African. By 2100, according to estimates, many of the world’s largest cities will be concentrated in Africa. If we don’t embrace this moment and create African-led pathways where economic opportunity and conservation are complementary, decisions made now about where to place dams, build roads, and grow food will decimate wildlife habitats and biodiversity.

As the leading pan-African global conservation organization, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) offers a unique vision of African-led conservation, bridging science, on-the-ground programs, public policy, and education.

We work directly in 17 landscapes. Our networks, business development, and policy approaches span the continent. Growing demands for food, water, and energy are pushing Africa’s natural systems to their limits.

Governments are enacting essential policies to ensure economies expand to support exponential population growth. But much of this economic activity works at cross-purposes with our natural heritage. Too often, conservation and development are pitted against each other.

We believe this is a false choice. We have learned that traditional approaches brokered by Western priorities do not provide a sustainable way forward. These instead contribute to a perception that conservation is a foreign agenda working against Africa’s prosperity—resulting in the false choice. For conservation to succeed, we must lead the decisions impacting our daily lives and future of our continent. Together, we can make a difference.