Forest Landscape Restoration in Central America and the Caribbean and implementation of the Green Development Fund for Central America (REDD Landscape)

Around 8% of all known species worldwide live in the relatively small area of Central America. Through deforestation, soil degradation and agricultural use, however, forests can no longer fulfil their water management, soil protection and biodiversity functions. The project supports at least four countries of the Central American Integration System (SICA) in establishing, developing and carrying out implementation and financing mechanisms for FLR. National strategies, instruments and regulations are introduced, enshrined in law and implemented to this end. The Green Development Fund, which is integrated into the programme, provides project funding and finances FLR pilot projects at landscape level. The project also mobilises public and private investment and supports the Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD) in its efforts to disseminate the Bonn Challenge Initiative in the Caribbean region.

Project data

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

Foundation for the Conservation of Natural Resources

FUNBAM Fundación Banco Ambiental
Online: https://www.giz.de/en/worldwide/79241.html

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State of implementation/results

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:
- An organizational analysis of PROMECAFE was conducted with the participation of its national member institutes and strategic partners, leading to the development of the PROMECAFE 2030 Value Proposition. This value proposition serves as a business plan aimed at generating added value in PROMECAFES services, enhancing the organization's ability to address regional challenges and strengthen its impact in the coffee sector.
- In line with this, a planning workshop and an organizational evaluation and updating process were carried out to ensure that PROMECAFE has the necessary capabilities to execute its value offer in the next 5 years.
Spaces for Dialogue and Exchange of Experiences:
- EAI Platform (Early Action and Learning Community): This platform consists of virtual meetings held approximately every two months, with over 250 participants to date, including representatives from coffee institutes, the private sector, and consultants. Representatives from European entities related to international coffee trade and the EUDR regulation also participate.
- Intersectoral Coordination in Central America: Communication was established between PROMECAFE and SICACAO, promoting the foundation for building intersectoral strategies with shared benefits for both coffee and cacao.
- Dialogue and Exchange Events:
  - "Cacao and Chocolate" (Guatemala, August 2024): In this annual event organized by the sector, during a two-days workshop the EUDR has been presented and challenges and opportunities of the EUDR have been analyised with the participation of producers from the region, representatives of indigenous microenterprises, cooperatives, and companies from Central America and the Caribbean.
  - "EUDR&Data Congress" (Costa Rica, December 2024): A regional congress for the coffee and cacao sectors to exchange on challenges, lessons learned, and best practices related to the EUDR, with a focus on data usage and systems, emphasizing interoperable public digital infrastructure and traceability. Steps were identified to facilitate EUDR compliance in the region.
Identification of Needs for EUDR Compliance and Capacity Strengthening
- Identification of Key Challenges for EUDR: Based on research conducted by COSA in an analysis of 5 pilot initiatives on traceability for EUDR, preliminary results were disseminated during the EUDR&Data Congress, identifying the following challenges:
  - Lack of knowledge on georeferencing at the farm level.
  - Need for accessible and affordable tools for polygon mapping.
  - High costs of specialized traceability consultants.
- Traceability Training: As a continuation of actions under the “Produce with the Future” component, two training sessions on georeferencing and EUDR were conducted with cooperatives from Guatemala and El Salvador, in coordination with CLAC/Fairtrade.
Coverage Maps, Data, and Traceability
- Preliminary Coffee and Forest Map: Using regional and national data integration and the evidence convergence approach, an initial regional map was created showing the distribution of forests in the region according to FAO forest concepts, alongside coffee-growing areas.
- Facilitation of Public-Private Agreements:
  - In the EUDR&Data Congress, the foundations were laid for working on data exchange agreements in 2025, with support from COSA and CIAT.
  - Given the EUDR extension until December 2025, an Ad-Hoc EUDR Strategy is being developed to expedite processes and consensus among public and private actors.
- Integration of Open-Source Traceability Systems: Progress was made in the integration of INATrace into the public digital infrastructure