How long do these projects take?
It can take over forty years until the trees are fully grown, although the additional carbon stored each year decreases. The agricultural part of reforestation can also take a very long time. Light-tolerant plants can be used in the first few years, after which shade-tolerant crops can be cultivated in the long term. Through our European partner, we have direct contact with the industry that processes the product. A project circle has an estimated lifespan of 30 years.
Who are we?
Please find out who we are here.
What are CRC’s exactly?
Carbon Removal Credits (CRCs) are representations of Nature based carbon dioxide removed from the air or oceans and stored for a certain period of time. The removal credits allow Removers to be compensated for their removal services. Carbon Removal Credits are carbon accounting units representing the actual sequestration of one metric ton of CO 2 (as CO 2 equivalent) from the atmosphere or oceans. Each CRC represents a ton of carbon dioxide that is both removed and stored for at least 100 years, or is corrected for this timescale, in line with IPCC conventions on permanence, using ton-year accounting principles. (ONCRA Guidelines 2023)
How does the Proyecto Palo work?
The centre where everything takes place is the company Desarrolladora de agroforesteria S.A., which seeks an agreement with farmers to carry out an agroforestry project on part of their farm in order to improve farmers’ lives, remove carbon from the air, diversify the landscape, create natural corridors and generate employment.
The employees of this company have many years of experience in agroforestry, forest growth modelling and forest certification and know their partners, our farmers, very well.
The expansion into the CRC market was agreed with Lamain Holding B.V., as this company is well positioned in this particular niche market. Every four years, the projects are visited by an external auditor to measure the actual accumulation of carbon in the soil and above-ground biomass. In this way, the CRCs are validated and verified ex-post.
What is agroforestry?
Agroforestry is a land use system in which combinations of trees are grown around or between crops or pastures. Agroforestry combines agricultural and forestry technologies to create more diverse, productive, profitable, healthy and sustainable land use systems.
Proyecto Palo applies different systems in its projects depending on the situation [rainfall, soil type, etc.].
The example above is an model image of shade trees, cacao pruduction under the canopy and ans shade tolerant undergrowth of commercial herbs.
What is greenwashing and should it be prevented?
In our opinion, greenwashing is not just a marketing tool, but rather the intention to solve CO2 pollution by offsetting with carbon certificates, while the intention should be to invest in low-emission technologies and only offset what really cannot be covered due to restrictions.
So we are happy to do our best to reduce your emissions in the long term, while expecting our customers to take measurable action towards neutrality.