All CAMPFIRE participants are professionals seeking to develop Zimbabwe, with the knowledge that increasing human populations often lead to environmental degradation and unsustainable land-use practices. We embrace the following principles:

• We recognize community ownership of natural resources, and support communities to use these resources to prosper financially, without degrading the natural resource base upon which they depend.
   
• We ensure that communities understand the principles of sustainability and that they can identify and take steps to preempt situations that unnecessarily degrade natural habitats and wildlife populations.
   
• We operate in partnership with local government authorities, and help them to meet their development goals and reduce poverty through sustainable development.
   
• We maintain the highest standards of performance, accountability and transparency and consistently evaluate our progress and communicate with our constituents.
   
• We work with communities to help them define and articulate their own needs and opportunities then to establish their own CAMPFIRE projects and goals, using sustainable development principles as an effective vehicle for biodiversity conservation.
   
• We embrace public and private sector participation in CAMPFIRE, and maintain open channels for greater participation and co-ordinate the involvement of all willing partners.
   
• We support equal opportunities for all members of the community regardless of race, gender or political affiliations and work to train and empower women as effective participants in the economic development of the community.