Impact Beyond Carbon
Nicaforest achieves a positive impact on climate and the environment through our reforestation project, which serves as natural carbon storage in addition to promoting the health of the surrounding ecosystem. Through the revenue stemming from carbon, we have established a sustainability platform that aims to encompass to tie a benefit to climate, with a positive impact on community and environment. We believe carbon sequestration should have an impact that extends beyond climate.
Our social initiatives
The Nicaforest reforestation project focuses on two key areas, fostering high-impact initiatives and the creation of a sustainable value chain around the forest. Our social impact platform aims to achieve a positive impact on both of these segments, and serve as an example of how carbon sequestration can have an impact beyond our climate. We have developed our social impact platform to encompass the following four key segments:
1. Education
Education is the key to the future of sustainable development. Nicaforest is proud to foster education in the community, and in doing so, have a lasting positive impact on development that extends beyond the scope of our high-impact reforestation project.
Our initiatives grant opportunities and knowledge to students ranging from primary school all the way to university. These initiatives work in synergy with promoting social development goals such as eliminating poverty and fostering gender equality.
Access to education fosters value creation in the community and has proven to play a fundamental role in achieving gender equality. Our initiatives are conducted with the common theme of sustainable development and the important role it plays on the overall development in the region for years to come.
2. Food Security
Food security is a basic requirement for the development of any community, and today, almost 10% of the world’s population suffers from hunger. The Nicaforest project understands the important role food security has in our community, and we are proud to have close to a decade worth of initiatives that foster food security in the region.
Our food security initiatives serve to foster good health and well-being, as well as reducing poverty. This is a result of access to proper nutrition, which is key for both the health of a community and its economic development. In the past, we have engaged in intercrop food production, which allowed the local community to utilize the space between trees to plant and harvest beans for consumption.
Additionally, we have placed emphasis on the food security of our workers and their families, with the aim of leading by example on the importance of fostering such an important segment for development. Food security is one the basic prerequisites for the development of any community and with the overarching goal of improving the nutrition of the local community, Nicaforest is committed to furthering the development of food security in the region.
3. Economic
Decent work and economic growth for all is a fundamental part of the sustainable value chain, as well as a determining factor in improving living standards in a community. The Nicaforest project embraces sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth on all parts of our operations.
An example of our impact in this area is the signing of Shared Benefit Agreements signed between Nicaforest and local farmers for plantation sites. This means we do not own the land in which the plantations are located, instead, we lease the land to ensure the value created is for the community, not at the expense of it. Sustainable economic development also achieves a positive impact in fostering gender equality through access to employment opportunities, as well as access to education through an improved economic standing.
These farmers get access to the carbon and timber market, providing an economically viable alternative to cattle farmers and fostering the development of a sustainable value chain around the forest. Nicaforest aims to offer a viable economic alternative in a region dominated by cattle farming, fostering sustainable growth through employment opportunities and access to education.
Reforestation with an impact beyond carbon mitigation
The Nicaforest reforestation project is committed to tying carbon sequestration with a positive impact that extends beyond climate. Our social initiatives were designed and executed in accordance with the UN Social Development Goals, seeking to add value to the surrounding community in ways that promote sustainable development. Through our four impact segments, Education, Food Security, Watershed Management, and Economic we aim to tackle the basic areas which must be in place in order to achieve sustainable growth. Our goal as a reforestation project is to create a sustainable value chain around the forest and lead by example on the importance of tying carbon sequestration initiatives that foster a positive impact on climate, community, and environment.
