Colombia JREDD+ Program - Terra Global Capital

Colombia JREDD+ Program

Program Details

Location	Choco and Antioquia, Colombia
Status	Active
Stage	Post Investment
Program Area (ha)	640,941
Reductions/ Removals (Avg Annual)	1,753,710 tCO2e
Program Type	JREDD+
Blue Carbon/Peatland	–
Program Start	2021
Market Standard	JNR, VCS 4.7, CCB 3.1
Methodology	VM0048
1st Verification	2026

About the Program

The COCOMACIA JREDD+ Program covers 706,145 hectares of collectively owned Afro-descendant territory in Chocó and Antioquia, Colombia. Managed by COCOMACIA since 1997, the Program aims to reduce deforestation and forest degradation by strengthening community governance, improving land tenure, and diversifying livelihoods. Implemented in partnership with Terra Global Capital, the Program builds on over two decades of COCOMACIA’s experience in sustainable forest management and collective rights. It promotes climate-smart development through improved management of forests, water, and agricultural land, while enabling communities to access carbon finance to reinvest in social, environmental, and economic priorities.

Community Leadership: Managed by COCOMACIA and governed through local assemblies and community councils
Program Reach: Engages 9 zones and 124 communities, home to more than 45,000 people
Climate Action: Reduces emissions from deforestation while promoting reforestation and low-impact livelihoods
Economic Impact: Generates income from sustainable production, restoration work, and verified carbon credits
Partnerships: Supported by Terra Global Capital and aligned with Colombia’s national REDD+ strategy and Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and CCB frameworks

This model empowers communities to manage their forests sustainably while benefiting from climate finance and improved livelihoods.

Community Benefits

The Program creates tangible social and economic improvements for communities across COCOMACIA’s territory. By combining sustainable land use, job creation, and income diversification, it strengthens both local economies and governance systems.

Income Generation: Develops non-timber forest product (NTFP) businesses, expands cash crops like annatto and cacao, and creates local employment opportunities
Sustainable Agriculture: Provides training on improved farming practices, agroforestry, and soil conservation to increase yields and food security
Capacity Building: Enhances governance skills, forest monitoring, and management expertise across community councils
Inclusive Participation: Promotes women’s leadership and equitable benefit-sharing
Community Inclusion: Supports cooperatives, associations, NTFP enterprises, and small-scale ecotourism ventures
Small Miners: Engages artisanal miners in restoring degraded lands and cultivating crops such as rice, corn, and bananas
Farmers and Staff: Offers technical training, job stability, and legal benefits for workers involved in implementation

By building skills, income, and inclusion, the Program reinforces community self-reliance and long-term forest stewardship.

Biodiversity Benefits

Located within the Chocó bioregion, one of the most biodiverse areas on Earth, the Program protects critical forest ecosystems and species under threat from illegal logging, mining, and agricultural expansion.

Ecosystem Protection: Conserves high-value tropical and mangrove forests that store carbon and maintain water cycles
Habitat Restoration: Rehabilitates degraded lands to expand wildlife habitat and improve connectivity between forest patches
Species Monitoring: Conducts biodiversity assessments for IUCN Red List species, including endemic birds, mammals, and amphibians
Community Patrols: Supports local rangers to prevent poaching, illegal logging, and land encroachment
Sustainable Resource Use: Promotes forest-compatible livelihoods that reduce pressure on natural ecosystems

By linking community development with conservation, the Program ensures lasting biodiversity protection while addressing the root causes of deforestation.

Program Partners

The COCOMACIA JREDD+ Program is implemented by the Community Council of COCOMACIA with technical and financial support from Terra Global Capital, and regulatory collaboration from CODECHOCO.

COCOMACIA: Leads program governance, implementation, and REDD+ compliance across all community territories
CODECHOCO: The Corporación Autónoma Regional para el Desarrollo Sostenible del Chocó, CODECHOCO is the government authority responsible for environmental management and natural resource regulation across the Chocó department
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 JREDD+ Program

Program Documents

COCOMACIA VCS CCB w RENARE Project Listing

COCOMACIA VCS project listing representation

Colombia JREDD+ Program

Program Activities

Robust Operational and Fiscal Management

Robust Operational/Fiscal Management of JREDD+ Program functioning with COCOMACI

The Program builds transparent, independent fiscal and operational systems for effective REDD+ management.

Governance Systems: Establishes financial oversight and reporting protocols.
Staff Training: Builds management capacity within the JREDD+ Unit.
Funding Management: Meets funder requirements and ensures accountability.
Operational Efficiency: Strengthens administrative processes for long-term success.

This foundation ensures efficient, transparent management of climate finance and program operations.

Program Area Tenure and Boundary Resolution

Program Area Tenure Secure and Boundary conflicts resolved, and boundary formalized

Formalizing tenure and boundaries ensures equitable land governance and conflict resolution across community territories.

Boundary Demarcation: Defines and maps territorial boundaries in coordination with authorities.
Conflict Resolution: Mediates disputes and clarifies overlapping land claims.
Tenure Security: Strengthens recognition of collective land ownership and resource rights.

Secured tenure enables sustainable management and long-term community investment in forest protection.

Improved Management Plans and Governance

Improve management plans and governance for protection and sustainable of Program Area

Strengthening management plans and governance frameworks ensures effective and transparent resource stewardship.

Plan Development: Updates land and forest management plans with local input.
Participatory Governance: Builds co-management structures across community councils.
Alignment: Integrates community priorities with national forest policy and REDD+ standards.

Enhanced governance ensures forests are managed sustainably and communities retain full participation in decision-making.

Community Engagement and Patrolling

Communities engaged with JREDD+ program and conducting community-based patrolling

Community engagement is central to forest protection and REDD+ success.

Awareness Training: Conducts REDD+ and conservation workshops.
Community Patrols: Organizes local teams to monitor and prevent illegal logging.
Youth Involvement: Engages schools and youth in environmental education.
Collaboration: Builds coordination between COCOMACIA and local authorities.

Active participation fosters ownership and shared responsibility for resource protection.

More Activities