zeroCARBON Program - Petén

The zeroCARBON program aims to restore degraded land in the Peten region (Guatemala) through sustainable forest management and local regenrative agriculture. This initiative involves 24 local farming communities across six municipalities, with 119 participants in the 2022 program (phase 1 of the project), comprising both cooperatives and individuals. As the program expands annually, more families and groups meeting zeroCARBON's eligibility criteria will be included.

Guatemala faces significant environmental challenges, with the LULUCF (Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry) sector contributing 27% of annual emissions. Between 1950 and 2010, the country lost 53.4% of its total forest area. zeroCARBON seeks to address this by discouraging deforestation through the provision of sustainable livelihoods for communities. The program aims to regenerate ecosystems while simultaneously supporting local development.

To achieve its objectives, zeroCARBON focuses on shifting land use from extensive livestock farming, cropland, and unproductive fallow to forestry and agroforestry systems. zeroCO2 trains communities in land use practices that include as many species as possible, increasing the complexity of the system and, therefore, its resilience.

The interventions aim to improve land management without disrupting local income dynamics, subsistence production, or surrounding ecosystems. The main project components include forest plantations and agroforestry systems, contributing to ecological restoration and sustainable community livelihoods.

The zeroCARBON program anticipates a range of ecosystem benefits, including the reduction of soil erosion, enhancement of soil fertility, carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and the regeneration of tree cover. Simultaneously, the program envisions various livelihood benefits for local communities such as improvements in food and agricultural production, community capacity building, income generation, and economic growth.