Forest Landscape Restoration in Central America and the Caribbean and implementation of the Green Development Fund for Central America (REDD Landscape)
Central America is a leading region in the restoration of ecosystems as part of the Bonn Challenge and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. However, deforestation rates remain high due to the expansion of agricultural land. The European Union (EU) Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR) creates market incentives to eliminate deforestation in commodity production. The project enables private and public actors in selected areas of the five major forests of Mesoamerica to jointly implement deforestation-free land use practices. It promotes the development of a digital, public infrastructure and the use of traceability systems in important supply chains and helps to establish deforestation-free territories. International exchange and policy reforms are promoted through the Central American Integration System (SICA), global initiatives for the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration and EUDR.
- Countries
- Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Mexico
- IKI funding
- 13,120,000.00 €
- Duration
- 08/2017 till 11/2027
- Status
- open
- Implementing organisation
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
- Political Partner
-
- Central American Integration System (SICA)
- Implementing Partner
-
- Regional International Organization for Plant Protection and Animal Health
- The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
- International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)
- Central American Agricultural Council
- Central American Commission for Environment and Development
- Committee on Sustainability Assessment (COSA)
- Foundation for the Conservation of Natural Resources
- FUNBAM Fundación Banco Ambiental
- Fundación Solidaridad Latinoamericana ‘Solidaridad’
- Linux Foundation
- PROMECAFE - Guatemala
State of implementation/results
- In September 2023, the project began its third implementation phase, focused on “Forest Landscapes and Sustainable Trade,” with a special emphasis on deforestation-free supply chains in the Great Forests of Mesoamerica and in the coffee-growing regions of Central America. Relevant results achieved so far are:
- The five key territories are Selva Maya in Guatemala/ Belize/ Mexico, Trifinio in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, La Mosquitia in Honduras, La Amistad in Costa Rica/Panama y el Darièn in Panama.
- Strengthening of PROMECAFE and its Role in the Coffee Sector:
- PROMECAFE’s Value Proposition 2030, was officially presented at the Regional Coffee Symposium as a forward-looking agenda for research, knowledge management, policy advocacy, and international promotion of Central American coffee.
- Spaces for Dialogue and Exchange of Experiences:
- Early Action and Learning Community: This platform consists of virtual meetings held approximately every two months, with over 510 participants to date, including representatives from coffee institutes from Central America, the private sector, and consultants. Representatives from European entities related to international coffee trade and the EUDR regulation also participate.
- In collaboration with CIAT, the virtual INATrace Congress (04/25) brought together key stakeholders to discuss the sustainability of open-source traceability systems creating a collaborative space to outline potential pathways for an open-source business model.
- EUDR & Data Congress (Honduras 09/25): Bringing together more than 250 participants from the coffee, cacao, palm, and livestock sectors, as well as the private sector, political, technical, women and indigenous peoples' associations, and other civil society representatives, the Congress advanced a shared agenda on data governance for deforestation-free supply chains achieving consensus on the need for transparent, interoperable, and sustainable data systems.
- Identification of Needs for EUDR Compliance and Capacity Strengthening
- In partnership with the Honduran German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK-HN), the EUDR in Action workshop series was launched to support producers, cooperatives, and national and European companies operating in Honduras. 68 representatives from the private sector, public institutions, and civil society have so far received training to strengthen understanding and readiness for EUDR requirements.
- Coverage Maps, Data, and Traceability
- In partnership with AECID, the CCAD Regional Technical Team on Forest Mapping and Monitoring was reactivated, creating a key platform to validate the regional coverage map and drive other priority actions.
- Intersectoral Dialogue on Deforestation-Free Supply Chains
- The Regional Intersectoral EUDR Plan was finalized through collaboration between CAC, CCAD, SIECA, IDB, FAO, and EUreCA, establishing a joint roadmap with active participation from public authorities and private sector exporters to Europe. The plan consolidates regional efforts to clearly define roles and responsibilities and to support countries in meeting EUDR requirements.
- Territorial pilots
- The first pilot territories were selected: Platano River Biosphere, Honduras (cattle), Trifinio Region (coffee) and La Amistad National Park (coffee/cacao/banana).
Latest Update:
12/2025
Project relations
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