Maísa forest conservation project in Brazil
Combat climate change by reducing deforestation and protecting biodiversity
The Maísa project is located in the municipality of Mojú, state of Pará, north of Brazil, the so-called ‘Arc of Deforestation’ in the Amazon. This region has suffered from illegal logging of indigenous forests for lumber and charcoal, intensive livestock farming and deforestation to acquire land (ownership). The Maísa project’s mission is to halt local deforestation and protect the rich, bio-diverse rich lands.
Climate & Environment
- Annual emission reduction about 67,000 tCO2e by protecting 28,750 ha of tropical rainforest from unplanned
deforestation. - Habitat’s protection and sustainable Forest Management to protect 128 endangered flora and 29 endangered fauna species.
- Mitigating landscape fragmentation to preserve the ecological corridor in the Pará region.
Social & Economic
- Empowerment of local communities on the regional decision-making process and public policies, assuring equal access rights of social organisations, third sector, workers union, communities, and private sector.
- Development of sustainable business chains for small scale agriculture and grazing sector through rural technical assistance and market studies.
- Investments in non-timber and other non-forest products chain.
- Small-scale farming is adopted and giving the local community legal sources of income via growing rice, beans, cassava, and corn.
About the project
Since the 1970s, the region has been plagued by conflicts between farmers, illegal loggers and land grabbers. This was due to a lack of government policy and weak enforcement of deforestation and land regulation laws. The easy access via the highway did the rest. When real estate speculation also set in, deforestation in the Maísa area reached its peak. The project focuses on climate, community and biodiversity. Unplanned deforestation is reduced by protecting the project area and sustainable forest management. The social component focuses on understanding the drivers of deforestation by residents and turning them around by promoting low-emission, income-generating activities. This is mainly small-scale farming.
By involving the local community in the project, the project managed to get this off the ground. Regarding biodiversity, the positive effects of sustainable forest management and habitat protection are monitored. It can be concluded that the project has exceptional climate, community and biodiversity benefits. At least 128 endangered tree species and 29 endangered animal species are protected from extinction within the project area. Small-scale farming has been introduced and local communities are actively involved in the decision-making processes regarding the Maísa project area.
Anthesis, through Climate Neutral Group, works with the project by supporting and investing in this unique project through the purchase of carbon credits. This initiative is VCS certified and follows the REDD+ approach. The VCS certification guarantees that the realized CO2 reduction is monitored and controlled via an audit. In addition, Climate Neutral Group is a member of The International Carbon Reduction and Offset Alliance (ICROA). This ensures reliable climate compensation. The socioeconomic benefits and biodiversity conservation meet the Community and Biodiversity Standard (CCBA).