Overview
COOPEAGRI is a cooperative of 10,162 farmers dedicated to agriculture activities such as coffee, sugarcane, and cattle raising. As part of the proposed A/R Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project activity, farmers associated with COOPEAGRI have introduced forestry activities in their privately-owned farms. The A/R Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project has had a total area of 892.42 ha distributed over three activities - agroforestry systems, assisted natural regeneration and forest plantations. The reforestation activities have been made with native species, such as: Amarillon (Terminalia amazonica), Pilon (Hieronyma alchorneoides), and Cedro amargo (Cedrela odorata), etc., and nonnative species, such as: Melina (Gmelina arborea) and Teak (Tectona grandis), and Eucalipto (Eucalyptus deglupta). The project has been expected to generate a total net anthropogenic GHG removal of approximately 176,050 t of CO2-e in a period of 20 years, or 8,803 t of CO2-e per year.
Benefits
The promotion of diverse land uses in the project area implies that farmers will maintain good levels of incomes and food security, but also that it will favor the production of environmental services. The benefits of the A/R project activity include:
- Biodiversity conservation: The project has promoted restoration of deforested lands, contributing to create a diverse landscape, to connect forest patches in the project area, and to create habitats for biodiversity protection, especially small mammals and birds.
- Local employment: The project has provided employment opportunities for local men and women through site restoration, planting, weeding, tending, thinning, protection, harvesting, and nursery management.
- Prevention of land degradation: The project has prevented landslides, improved hydrological regimen (infiltration, water quality and flows), and minimized soil erosion.
- Improved GHG removals through the increase of biomass carbon pools: The project activity has enhanced GHG removals by increasing above and below ground biomass and preventing significant soil disturbances.