Taking Root is delighted to announce a new partnership with Abatable to drive community-led forest restoration through the CommuniTree Carbon Program in Nicaragua. The partnership has already resulted in more than US$1.7 million being directed into the project from a Fortune 500 company. This has enabled CommuniTree to welcome another 92 smallholder families to the program. Together, they are restoring 304 hectares of degraded land, growing 418,739 trees and sequestering 83,062 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere over time.

A commitment to quality

There is a pressing urgency to invest in nature-based solutions to remove carbon from the atmosphere, restore ecosystems, and improve the livelihoods of those most vulnerable to the effect of the climate crisis. Yet companies seeking to meet their climate commitments want to be sure that they are investing in the right projects – meaning those that deliver lasting benefits for the environment and for local communities. Abatable bridges this gap, helping organizations identify opportunities to build a thriving future for climate, nature and people.

After a rigorous due diligence process, Abatable found Taking Root’s CommuniTree Carbon Program to be a high-integrity forest carbon removal project that results in tangible climate action. Registered as a Plan Vivo project in 2010, CommuniTree partners with smallholder farming families across Nicaragua to grow trees alongside their existing agricultural practices. Recognized for its best practices by the UN, EU, and World Economic Forum, it has grown to become the largest reforestation initiative in the country.

“Abatable exists to help companies and investors navigate the carbon markets and locate and support those projects that are making a tangible difference on the ground,” said Douglas Greenwell, Chief Commercial Officer at Abatable. “The CommuniTree Carbon Program is a fantastic example of just such a project, and one we are proud to be associated with. We need to see more essential initiatives like CommuniTree, which has benefited some 4,200 farmers and resulted in over 25 million trees being planted, if the world is to meet its climate targets and make real progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.”

Improving livelihoods by growing trees

Abatable’s clients now have the option to invest in CommuniTree so that more smallholder farmers across Nicaragua can improve their livelihoods by growing trees. The families that participate in the project receive 60% of all carbon revenue, with US$33 million having been directed to local communities to date. Farmers receive extensive support from a local team, and Taking Root’s technology platform is deployed to monitor progress and provide robust, transparent reporting.

Along with carbon revenue, farmers are connected to forest value chains over time. This enables them to earn an income from the by-products of silvicultural maintenance, be it selling prunings for firewood, or thinnings to be turned into biochar and construction materials. Hardwood trees can also be selectively extracted from more mature parcels and sold as high-grade timber. This ensures that farmers obtain short, medium and long-term benefits from their forests, providing the incentives to grow trees and to keep those trees in the ground.

“CommuniTree is founded on the basis that the world’s forests will only be restored if people can improve their livelihoods by growing trees,” says Kahlil Baker, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Taking Root. “By connecting Nicaraguan smallholders to the carbon market, and facilitating access to forest value chains, we have created a model whereby farmers inherently want to have trees on their land. Not only do farmers want trees, but they want to keep them as a legacy for future generations to come.”

Investing in climate, nature and people

CommuniTree’s impacts are wide-ranging in scope. The project only plants native, polyculture forests, supporting the restoration of healthy ecosystems. This improves biodiversity, stabilizes the soil, replenishes water aquifers, and regulates ground temperatures. Farmers benefit from diversified income streams, shade for livestock, and a sustainable source of firewood – all of which is a complement to existing subsistence practices. The project also supports close to 200 permanent jobs across Nicaragua, with thousands more hired every year as seasonal labour. These impacts are entirely additional, meaning they would not have happened without upfront financing from corporates.

“Taking Root’s partnership with Abatable is based on a shared dedication to creating real-world impacts through high-quality carbon removals,” says Baker. “We’re thrilled that this has already allowed us to scale CommuniTree, and we look forward to working with Abatable and their clients to create even greater impacts for climate, nature and people.”

Find out more about the CommuniTree Carbon Program and subscribe to our newsletter for project updates.