Plantation Visit with UN REDD Negotiators and Indigenous Leaders

A family in Nuevo Paraiso keeps a pet toucanPrior to the most recent United Nations Climate Change negotiation (conveniently held in Panama City), we hosted a group of REDD negotiators in our Nuevo Paraiso plantation. The REDD negotiators were interested to see how the Equitable Forestry model engages with our partnering landowners.

One of the largest drivers of deforestation in Panama is the contingent of small landowner who deforest to gain land title and practice subsistence agriculture and/or cattle ranching. Negotiators are working to develop REDD policies that provide incentives and a framework for activities such as Planting Empowerment’s mixed native species plantations, which can be an alternative income source for small landowners.

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UN-REDD in Panama update

At the UN-REDD meeting recently held in Da Lat, Vietnam, Felix Magallon from the Ministry of Environment (ANAM) represented Panama. The meeting included an update on Panama's national program for reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD+).

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Indigenous peoples' informed voices critical in Cancún

Board Member Chris Meyer weighs in Indigenous Peoples, REDD, and forests from the Cancun UN climate change negotiations:

A indigenous youth in Arimae harvests mamones. Click for a larger viewIndigenous Peoples are gaining ground in the international negotiations on climate change, especially negotiations on REDD. However, there is more that can be done nationally and internationally.

COONAPIP, the national organization of Indigenous Peoples of Panama is here in Cancun with Panama country badges. Thus, they can attend the closed meetings and are expected to be helping the Panamanian government delegates form their strategies.

For the full story, check out this post written for the Environmental Defense Fund on Indigenous Peoples' participation in the negotiation.

Community Forestry Management, Indigenous Peoples, and REDD

I recently visited the community of Ixtpal de Juarez, an indigenous community in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca, Mexico. The 19,000 hectares of forest that the community manages generates almost $2 million/year in revenue and more employment than the community can fill.

The heart of this operation is a forestry management unit that uses sustainable practices on the 3600 hectares. This timberland supplies their saw mill enough logs to produce 25,000 cubic meters of sawn lumber per year. While the lumber could be sold on the market for ~$1/ board foot, it is instead transformed into furniture that sells for the equivalent of $3/board foot.

The project started almost 25 years ago when the community took control of the timber concession previously managed by a private timber company.

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Failure of Climate Bill - How does it affect Forestry and REDD?

I think we would all agree that it is a disappointment that the US Senate didn't take up a climate bill that included a cap and trade system to finally put a price on carbon and begin reducing emissions.

The failure of the bill affects REDD not only in Panama, but throughout the world. Primarily, it hamstrings any meaningful encapsulating agreement coming out of Cancun in December, and probably even South Africa in 2011. More and more it looks like the best thing that can come out of Cancun for REDD is a "REDD+ Readiness" package that the new REDD+ Partnership can build off of. More on that Partnership later...

Most importantly for REDD, it doesn't look like we will have a significant market for any credits generated in the next 5-6 years; not a great signal to the private sector and investors.

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