Agroforestry and reforestation - Albertine Rift & Mt. Elgon, Uganda

Trees for Global Benefits is a community-based carbon offsetting initiative linking Ugandan smallholder farmers to the voluntary carbon market. The project’s primary goal is to achieve long-term, verifiable voluntary emission reductions while improving rural livelihoods through small-scale, farmer-led forestry and agroforestry initiatives.

Cost

$ 16 /tonne

CO₂ Tonnes

Project information

Empowering sustainable farming in Uganda

For over 20 years, this agroforestry and reforestation project has distinguished itself by being transparent, innovative, and impactful, ensuring every stakeholder sees and feels the project's success. Verified by two independent validators and registered under the Plan Vivo Standard, they place a strong focus on participatory development, equitable benefit-sharing, and rigorous environmental and social safeguards.

By promoting sustainable land-use practices and tree planting, the project reduces deforestation pressures on national parks and forest reserves, enhances biodiversity conservation, and increases climate resilience. It follows a human rights-based, pro-poor approach, prioritising social and financial inclusion of marginalised communities. The project strengthens local institutions, builds social capital, and promotes gender equity by ensuring land-use planning includes both spouses and children.

To date, the project has improved improved conditions in seven specific areas and enhanced climate resilience for over 42,000 households through climate adaptive strategies. By fostering sustainable fuelwood and timber production, pressure has reduced on ten different protected areas while restoring biodiversity and ecosystem services. The project has generated $6,055,111 for communities as payment for ecosystem services while inspiring confidence and enthusiasm among farmers eager to join its ranks.

Intervention

Assisted Natural Regeneration, Agroforestry, ARR

Location

Uganda

Standard

Plan Vivo

Sustainable Goals

Project performance

The Earthly rating

The Earthly rating is the industry-first holistic project assessment. Earthly researchers analyse 106 data points, aggregating information across the three vital pillars of carbon, biodiversity and people. Projects in Earthly's marketplace all exceed a minimum score of 5/10.

Carbon

5,973,569

tCO2 total emission reductions.

Biodiversity

79%

indigenous species planted.

Social

41,898

smallholder households participating in the project.

Project impact

Local impact

The depicted boundaries of the project area represent less than 2% of the total project extent, highlighting parcels that are actively engaged in restoration efforts. Overall, the project involves approximately 50,000 farmers who have joined since its inception in 2003, demonstrating the extensive reach and impact of this initiative.

Project area: through time

This project operates within three ecologically and socio-economically diverse regions in Uganda: Mt. Elgon, Northern Uganda, and the Albertine Rift - each grappling with unique challenges. The regions are affected by deforestation, land degradation, water scarcity, and natural disasters such as landslides and floods, exacerbated by agricultural expansion and dense population. Moreover, the effects of climate change in these areas further threaten agriculture and biodiversity, heightening the need for robust and sustainable management practices.

The project aims to counter these issues by fostering community involvement and integrating local governance to advance sustainable forestry and agroforestry practices across Uganda. This initiative not only alleviates deforestation pressures on national parks and forest reserves but also champions biodiversity conservation and bolsters climate resilience.

Positive for people

The project significantly enhances community well-being through financial, environmental, and social benefits. Farmers receive carbon payments, with 60% of Plan Vivo Certificate revenue going directly to them, ensuring fair compensation for their role in carbon sequestration. They also generate income from timber, fuelwood, and fruit sales, fostering long-term economic stability. By integrating avocado and mango trees into agroforestry systems, the project enhances food security and nutrition while promoting climate resilience. Increased tree cover regulates local temperatures and moisture, creating better growing conditions for crops.

The project strengthens community empowerment by organising producer associations and Community-Based Organisations (CBOs), enabling collective decision-making and joint income-generating activities. Farmers access soft loans through Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), while the Carbon Community Fund (CCF) supports schools, roads, and tree nurseries. The project helps secure land tenure through customary ownership certificates and communal land registration, ensuring farmers' long-term rights to their land.

Climate adaptation is a key focus, as the project mitigates drought, floods, and soil erosion through reforestation, soil conservation, and improved water management. To date, it has helped 42,039 households improve adaptation strategies. Farmers receive training in agroforestry, fire management, and tree-based enterprises, equipping them with skills to diversify income sources and reduce reliance on unsustainable land use.

The project promotes inclusive governance, ensuring women, marginalised groups, and indigenous communities actively participate. Conflict resolution mechanisms, including grievance platforms and local leader involvement, help address land tenure issues. Through carbon finance, sustainable land management, and social empowerment, they project fosters economic resilience, environmental conservation, and long-term community benefits.

Good for earth

Beyond carbon, the project’s reforestation and agroforestry activities provide significant ecosystem and biodiversity benefits. Reforestation efforts so far have increased on-farm tree diversity and coverage. Over the last 20 years, over 79% of the species that have been planted are indigenous, contributing to native species conservation. These trees support local wildlife, such as insects and small mammals, further enhancing local biodiversity.

Tree planting near national parks and reserves expands habitat corridors, strengthening ecosystem connectivity and reducing habitat fragmentation. This helps protect wildlife populations in key conservation areas such as Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls National Parks. By providing alternative sources of timber, fuelwood, and non-timber forest products through agroforestry and reforestation, the project also reduces illegal logging and land conversion in protected areas.

Additionally, the project promotes their long-term conservation by offering training on sustainable land management practices and supporting farmers in managing sustainable tree-based enterprises, supporting diversified income opportunities and reducing local communities’ reliance on unsustainable forest exploitation. Sustainable land management practices also provide ecosystem benefits by improving soil health, by enhancing soil structure, increasing moisture retention, reducing nutrient depletion and ensuring long-term soil fertility. By regulating temperature, humidity, and wind patterns, the project also creates more stable microclimates.

Finally, through riverine forest restoration, the project enhances watershed protection, helping stabilise soil, prevent erosion, and reduce siltation in key water bodies. To date, seven catchments have been improved by the programme. By improving water retention and infiltration, tree planting regulates hydrological cycles and mitigates runoff pollution, safeguarding aquatic ecosystems.