Our Projects
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Coffee
Northern Peru
Urapi’s first investment, Café Selva Norte, grew from our long-lasting relationships with cooperatives in northern Peru.
We are currently working with 10 cooperatives, to reverse land degradation and restore degraded land by :
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Providing financial support for the renovation of aging farms and/or restoration of degraded land into agroforestry systems
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Operate a state-of-the-art dry processing mill, co-owned by coops, for improved quality and traceability
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Generating carbon credits within two VCS-certified projects – one for ARR and one for conservation
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Generating added value for cooperatives and their members through sales of coffee and carbon credits
Over the 15 years of the lifespan of the project, we aim to:
involve 3000 producers, favoring the increase of their income
reforest 8 250 hectares with sustainable agroforestry systems.
create
60 jobs positions
sequester and avoid the emissions of
3.8 M Tons CO2
conserve 200,000 hectares of forest
CAFÉ SELVA NORTE
The Café Selva Norte coffee mill is a great example of ECOTIERRA's involvement in building inclusive and sustainable supply chains.
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The mill is co-owned with cooperatives, which have the option to gradually become full owners over time.
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The first mill in Peru equipped with Cimbria equipment. Its technology preserves the integrity of coffee while providing adequate environmental and safety conditions.
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The mill runs 2 lines, one for high volume processing and one focused on micro-lots with the ability to handle special preparation such as honey and natural coffees.
SELVA NORTE CONSERVATION REDD+
FINANCE TOOL FOR CONSERVATION INITIATIVES IN PERU
Carbon
The Selva Norte Conservation project (CSN+) is a grouped REDD+ initiative developed by ECOTIERRA that is financed by URAPI. CSN+ is developed following the VCS Standard and methodology VM0006. The project aims to reduce GHG emissions related to deforestation and forest degradation as well as increasing carbon sequestration of over 200,000 ha in the regions of Amazonas, Cajamarca and San Martin, in the north of Peru.
CSN+ is a first of its kind. It allows native and farmer communities as well as private forest owners and local organizations to access carbon finance tools to improve their conservation efforts. The project will also contribute to consolidating an important biodiversity corridor and protect key ecosystems in the region.
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CSN+ first group of instances has already been defined with four private conservation areas, including the biggest private conservation area in Peru.
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Validation/verification is expected to occur in the first trimester of 2023, including the first emission of VCUs.
Peru
PRODICOM
Forestry project
Forestry PRODICOM is a grassland afforestation project in the northern Peruvian Andes, specifically in the regions of Cajamarca, La Libertad, and Ancash.
The Forestry PRODICOM project aims to convert abandoned or low-productivity grasslands into productive forests using species such as pine and eucalyptus, which will contribute to the conservation and stabilization of soils and water regimes and, at the same time, will increase the income of agricultural producers through the production and sale of wood and non-timber forest products, such as edible mushrooms, and the marketing of carbon credits.
Since 2015, Ecotierra has been working with agricultural organizations and producers to:
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Provide technical assistance and monitor afforestation actions.
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Geo-reference forest hectares, calculate the carbon credits generated and register them in the MINKA™ application for commercialization.
The PRODICOM Forestation project aims to:
Afforest 5 000 hectares of abandoned or low-productivity grasslands
Market carbon credits for a 35 year accreditation period
Capture and avoid the emission of 1,3 M de tons CO₂
PROGRESS
Since 2015, the Forestry PRODICOM project has allowed:
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The afforestation and georeferencing of approximately 1793 hectares which were recorded and tracked in MINKA™.
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The participation of more than 180 agricultural producers, from the regions of La Libertad and Ancash who will benefit from the Forestry PRODICOM project.
PRODICOM
PARTNER
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Colombia
The RioSierra Project is located in the buffer zone of Colombia’s Sierra Nevada National Park, which features the highest coastal mountain range in the world and numerous endemic and threatened species.
The RioSierra project is dedicated to fostering responsible and sustainable practices in key agricultural sectors such as coffee, cocoa, and honey production. With a diverse portfolio of partners, RioSierra promotes value chains that prioritize environmental stewardship, empower local communities, and foster economic resilience. Through innovative approaches like high-productivity agroforestry and the development of cutting-edge agro-industrial processes, RioSierra actively contributes to the advancement of rural development in Colombia. With a focus on human and environmental well-being, RioSierra embodies the principles of sustainable development in its everyday operations, ensuring a prosperous and harmonious future for all stakeholders involved.
Over the 15 years of the lifespan of the project , we aim to:
Involve 1,500
producers, favoring the increase of their income
Convert
4,500 hectares to sustainable agroforestry
Conserve 70,000 hectares of forest
Sequester and avoid 1,3M tonnes of CO2
The RioSierra Project is the second project financed by Urapi. Located in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, we are working with the Red Ecolsierra cooperative to implement the following:
PROJECT ACTIVITIES
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Financial support for restoring land, introducing sustainable coffee & cocoa agroforestry systems, with honey production
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Carbon credit generation within a VCS certified project
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State-of-the-art dry processing mill, collection centers and compost production plant, co-owned by coops, for improved quality and traceability
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Sales of project’s coffee, cocoa, honey and carbon credits with added value
RioSierra
PARTNER
RioSierra, ECOTIERRA and Red Ecolsierra, began the production and distribution of bio-fertilizer throughout the region of Northern Colombia. The use of bio-fertilizer amongst farmers continues to grow, due to the environmental sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and potential to improve soil health, crop yields, and reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers.
As a result of this collaboration between organizations, Granja BioAgricola was established to produce bio-fertilizers. Granja BioAgricola delivered approximately 700 tons of fertilizer for use in 2022, with an expected production of nearly 1200 tons for 2023.
CARBON PROJECT IN FORESTS OF FLAVOR AND AROMA IMPROVING VALUE CHANGE THROUGH CLIMATE FINANCE
Carbon
Carbon in Forest of Flavor and Aroma is a carbon sequestration grouped project aiming to support the transition from unsustainable use of the landscape to a sustainable model. This project does so by increasing productivity, quality, and resilience to the benefit of coffee, cacao and honey producers as well as strengthening their value chains.
This project has been developed under the VCS Standard using the CDM.
Methodology: AR ACM 0003 for validation in the third quarter of 2022.
The project aims to introduce/develop sustainable agroforestry systems in 3857 ha in Magdalena, Cesar and Guajira departments According to initial projections, more than 1 500 producers and their families will benefit directly and indirectly from the project.
Canada
Pivot Forestry Project is the first initiative in Canada that gives small forest owners the opportunity to access carbon finance. It is also the first VCS-certified land use project in Québec, and the first land-use grouped project in Canada. Grouped projects allow actions over numerous small parcels of land to be grouped together into a single project, thus giving access to a carbon project that would not have been viable otherwise for small landowners. ECOTIERRA developed Pivot with the help of Université Laval as a scientific partner and Forêt Hereford as a founding partner.
By adopting improved forest practices (such as creating old-growth habitats for many wildlife species), forest owners will have positive impacts on the biodiversity conservation.
Over its 80 years lifespan, the project will:
Diversify incomes
of over 300 forest owners
Enhance
15,000 hectares of forest
Sequester and avoid 9,200,000 tonnes of CO2
PIVOT
FOUNDER PARTNERS
Pivot Forestry Project aims to help small forest owners generate value for the adoption of sustainable practices on 15,000 hectares. Small forest owners who want to adopt the following activities will be able to join the project until 2030.
We created the Pivot Forestry Project, our first project in Canada, because we found :
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Forest owners are not compensated for sustainable management of their natural capital
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Timber remains the only income for most forest owners.
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Based on subsidies and individual donations, the current business model of conservation groups limits their capacity to scale up conservation efforts
Have a look at Pivot's latest video:
Honduras
NEW PROJECT
Aroma Café y Miel
Our Honduras Aroma Café y Miel Project is structured as a collaboration between Urapi and 12 cooperatives in Honduras, receiving support from the Canadian NGO Socodevi since 2022.
The project's primary goal is to bolster the sustainable development of the coffee and honey value chains. This will be achieved by enhancing agroforestry processing capabilities and facilitating direct access to markets.
Over the 15 years of the lifespan of the project , we aim to:
Involve producers, favoring the increase of their income
Convert hectares to sustainable agroforestry
Promote better forestry practices to prevent deforestation
Establish processing facilities to enhance the honey and coffee value chain while creating jobs
Quillabamba, Peru
NEW PROJECT
The Kuska Project is a collaboration between Urapi and the Central of Cooperatives COCLA in Quillabamba Province, Cusco, Peru. COCLA, a renowned organization with over 1000 coffee, cocoa, and honey producers, holds immense potential for growth. The primary goal of the Kuska Project is to strengthen COCLA’s position as a leader in developing sustainable coffee, cocoa, and honey value chains.
Partner Overview:
Founded in 1967, COCLA is a Central Producer Cooperative comprising 22 cooperatives with over 1,034 farmers and 4,000 hectares in production. Despite facing financial challenges, COCLA remains a leader in cooperative development in Peru. Certified by Fairtrade, Organic, Rainforest Alliance, and REI Alliance, COCLA continues to produce high-quality coffee, cocoa, and honey products.
