Our partners have an extensive knowledge and experience in tree planting and reforestation. They have an in-depth understanding of the challenges of reforestation, the importance of choosing the right specimen of trees, and they have first-hand experience in the restoration of damaged rainforests. They are experts in botany, ecology, managed forestry and work closely with local communities in a wide range of sustainable ecological projects. They coordinate the work of a very experienced and well-established network of affiliate groups with many ongoing programmes in Belize, Honduras, Panama and Nicaragua.
The main programmes supported by Carbonica in Central America are tree planting, forest restoration, forest conservation, multi-story crop planting and wood-conserving stoves. We believe that carbon capture through tree planting, reforestation and managed forestry programmes is most efficient at tropical latitudes. For this reason, Central America is an ideal part of the world to carry out these programmes and in addition local communities can draw significant benefits from them.
Our main partner, the US-based Sustainable Harvest International (SHI) provides farming families in Central America with the training and tools to overcome poverty while restoring our planet’s tropical forests. SHI has been planting trees in Belize since 1999 and its programme currently serves more than 330 families in the southern district of Toledo and the neighboring district of Stann Creek. In 2008, SHI planted 87,214 trees in Belize via several of its programmes, restoring the land, holding the soil in place and providing food and income to communities. SHI has also worked with the Mayan community of Hicattee to provide the know-how to build wood-conserving stoves and organic vegetable gardens. These projects have a tangible impact in reducing CO2 emissions and saving energy consumption in the local communities.
SHI has planted a total of over 2.4 million trees in Central America with more than 1,000 local families working to reverse the trend of deforestation. The carbon capture potential of the restored rainforest and new cultivated areas is very substantial. We want to increase this effort substantially and support the reforestation and restoration of yet many more acres of land.
In Honduras, a local affiliate programme Sustainable Harvest Honduras has been in place for 5 years, working on biogas digesters and crop diversification. SHI has also participated in the plantation of crops such as coffee, cacao, chestnuts, bananas and coconuts.
In Panama, SHI works with 138 families in the district of Anton and in Charges National Park. In 2007, more than 77 acres of land were converted to sustainable use through reforestation, sustainable agriculture, erosion control and agro-forestry practices.
In Nicaragua, Sustainable Harvest Nicaragua (SHN) has worked in remote areas of the Atlantic Coast Region to reverse the impact of environmental degradation by promoting crop plantations, improved harvesting techniques and furnishing technologies to local communities.