Colombia ARR AgroTrees Program - Terra Global Capital

Colombia ARR AgroTrees Program

Program Details

Location	Cabuyaro, Meta, Colombia
Status	Active
Stage	–
Program Area (ha)	2,258
Reductions/Removals (Avg Annual)	11,221 tCO2e
Program Type	ARR AgroTrees
Blue Carbon/Peatland	–
Market Standard	VCS 4.7, CCB 3.1
Program Start	2017
Expected 1st Verification	August 2025

About the Program

The Colombia ARR AgroTrees Program promotes sustainable agroforestry and regenerative land management in Cabuyaro, Meta, transforming degraded pasturelands into productive, climate-positive ecosystems. Covering 2,258 hectares, the Program integrates cacao cultivation within a diversified agroforestry system that restores soil health, increases carbon sequestration, and strengthens rural livelihoods. Implemented by Andean Cacao with support from Terra Global Capital, the Program applies climate-smart agricultural practices that balance productivity, biodiversity, and long-term sustainability. Program Highlights:

Converts degraded pasturelands into regenerative, tree-based agroforestry systems
Establishes 1,764 hectares of cacao-based systems with native and shade tree species
Restores soil fertility through organic matter recycling, cover crops, and reduced agrochemical use
Protects 491 hectares of conservation zones, riparian areas, and morichales (palm wetlands)
Generates verified emission removals under VCS and CCB standards

Community Benefits

The Program strengthens local livelihoods through fair employment, training, and sustainable land-use practices that improve both income and resilience.

Key Community Outcomes:

Employment: Creates stable, year-round jobs for local residents in nursery operations, planting, and maintenance
Training: Builds capacity in sustainable agroforestry, soil conservation, and organic fertilizer production
Economic Diversification: Expands income through cacao production and value-added processing
Inclusive Development: Promotes equitable participation and supports smallholder integration into sustainable supply chains
Food Security: Encourages intercropping with cassava, plantain, and legumes to enhance household nutrition

By integrating economic opportunity with environmental stewardship, the Program empowers local communities to manage their land sustainably.

Biodiversity Benefits

The Program restores ecological integrity by converting degraded lands into diverse agroforestry systems that function as wildlife corridors and carbon sinks.

Key Biodiversity Outcomes:

Habitat Restoration: Rehabilitates ecosystems that connect secondary forests, riparian zones, and morichales
Native Species Conservation: Integrates native tree species to enhance habitat diversity and stability
Ecosystem Health: Improves soil fertility, water retention, and microclimate regulation
Pollinator Support: Provides flowering trees and cover crops that sustain bees, birds, and other pollinators essential to cacao productivity

These practices increase biodiversity within working landscapes, demonstrating how productive agriculture and ecosystem restoration can coexist.

Program Partners

The Andean Cacao Program is implemented by Andean Cacao S.A.S. in partnership with Terra Global Capital and the Asociación Ayuda en Carretera (DyA).

Andean Cacao S.A.S.: Leads program implementation, farmer engagement, and agroforestry management. Oversees the establishment of regenerative cacao systems, post-harvest operations, and partnerships with local landowners to improve productivity and economic resilience
DyA: A Colombian non-profit organization that supports community outreach, training, and cooperative development. DyA strengthens local capacity, facilitates farmer participation, and ensures inclusive benefit sharing
Terra Global: Provides technical expertise in greenhouse gas quantification, monitoring, reporting, and verification for carbon asset development under market standards. Terra structures and provides climate finance, supports ongoing program management, and commercializes verified emission reductions/removals

Colombia ARR AgroTrees Program

Program Progress

Jul 2017

Program Start

Planting of diversified agroforestry system for First Activity Instance

Jan 2022

Field Visit

Field collection of climate, social and biodiversity data for impact monitoring

Jan 2025

Validation/Verification

Validation of PD and Verification of MR1 of First Activity Instance

Colombia ARR AgroTrees Program

Program Documents

Bacao MR1 – CCB-v3.0-VCS-v4.3

Bacao PD-CCB-v3.0-VCS-4.3

Colombia ARR AgroTrees Program

Program Activities

Sustainable Agricultural Management

The Program improves soil health and restores degraded land through locally adapted cocoa agroforestry systems.

Soil and water assessments guide the design of agroforestry systems that integrate cacao with supporting species such as matarratón for nitrogen fixing and abarco for permanent shade.
Green cover crops including mucuna, kudzu, desmodium, and botón de oro are established to increase organic matter, reduce erosion, and improve long-term soil fertility.
Staggered planting of cacao, temporary shade species, and permanent shade trees increases total biomass and stabilizes microclimates across farms, supported by reliable nursery production for high-quality seedlings.
Productivity improvements follow soil-based fertigation plans, BPA and HSE compliance, monitoring of fossil fuel use, and the maintenance of environmental permits with CORMACARENA.
Conservation areas such as morichales and riparian forests are maintained, and the Program reinforces zero deforestation commitments among plantations and smallholder producers.

Inclusive Community Development

The Program strengthens livelihoods, expands opportunities, and promotes inclusive participation across plantation workers, smallholder farmers, and local community groups.

Workers benefit from social support programs, fair wage initiatives, well-being assessments, and ongoing training to enhance skills, income stability, and long-term employment opportunities.
Inclusion is advanced by increasing the participation of women in agricultural activities and by establishing partnerships with local organizations, cooperatives, and community groups.
Smallholder farmers receive technical assistance to improve cocoa management and farm productivity, including pruning, grafting, integrated pest management, soil fertility enhancement, and crop diversification.
Farmer Field Schools provide hands-on training in sustainable agroforestry, soil improvement, shade management, biodiversity-friendly practices, and climate-resilient agriculture.
Seedling access is expanded through coordinated nursery production and distribution of cocoa and native shade species to participating farmers.

Biodiversity Conservation & Ecosystem Restoration

The Program protects ecosystems and strengthens biodiversity conservation through monitoring, habitat restoration, and community engagement.

Training increases awareness of local biodiversity, including species such as armadillo, capybara, tayra, ocelot, toucans, tinamous, and a range of amphibians and reptiles found in agroforestry and forest-edge habitats.
Camera traps in agroforestry plots, gallery forests, and morichales support continuous biodiversity monitoring and inform adaptive conservation planning.
Fire prevention strategies improve habitat protection through community awareness activities and staff training on risk reduction and response actions.
Riparian buffers and native vegetation are restored and maintained, including moriche palm stands and gallery forest species such as balso, cedro, and yarumo, supporting wildlife corridors, water regulation, and soil stability.

Value Chain Access & Livelihood Development

The Program increases producer income and strengthens local markets through improved commercialization models and financial inclusion.

A direct and transparent purchasing system for wet cacao at the farm gate improves price reliability and reduces dependence on intermediaries for smallholder farmers.
Organized collection routes expand access for remote communities, reduce transportation barriers, and support consistent product delivery.
Digital payment systems enable rapid income transfers, improve financial inclusion, and support the creation of bank accounts for participating farmers.
Livelihoods are strengthened through increased cocoa productivity, diversification of agroforestry crops, and expanded market opportunities for high-quality cocoa from the Orinoquía region.

Colombia ARR AgroTrees Program

Sustainable Agroforestry Cacao

Program Details

Program Progress

Program Start

Field Visit

Validation/Verification

Program Documents

Program Activities

Sustainable Agricultural Management

Inclusive Community Development

Biodiversity Conservation & Ecosystem Restoration

Value Chain Access & Livelihood Development

Program Gallery

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