We would like to highlight our significant partnerships, and we had the privilege of gaining insights from Paulo Pulgarin, the Project Officer for Colombia and Peru at Partnerships for Forests.
In the Peruvian Amazon region around Pucallpa, near the Ucayali River, the forest that once covered the area has disappeared many years ago, principally due to forest clearance for cattle grazing, agriculture and land speculation. To regain nature and support economic activity Form International Peru has set up a long-term project to restore the deforested and degraded land. Our initiative seeks to establish a reforestation business that will produce value-added timber products from fast-growing commercial species native to Peru and also create conservation areas. In this initiative, a strong collaboration exists between Form International Peru and Partnerships for Forests. This dynamic partnership aims to tackle the issue of deforestation while promoting sustainable land use practices.
Partnerships for Forests
Partnerships for Forests is an organization that facilitates collaboration between the private sector, public sector, and communities to attract investment in sustainable land use and forest conservation. They focus on catalysing investments in regenerative business models within the land use sector to combat climate change, benefit local communities, and protect biodiversity. Through partnerships and shared visions, they aim to mobilize substantial investment in businesses that promote forest protection and restoration, as well as market-based solutions to transform global supply chains for key commodities impacting land use. Paulo emphasizes the essential role Partnerships for Forests plays in catalyzing investments in regenerative business models within the land use sector. The collaborative project with Form International Peru, strategically designed to combat deforestation challenges in Peru, aligns with this vision.
Our project
This initiative aims to restore deforested areas by planting a range of commercial native species, creating a profitable forest enterprise, and a sustainable industrial timber plantation. In the coming years we want to grow a few hundred hectares per year and aim to reach 6000 hectares of mixed native tree plantations in 10 to 12 years and 3000 hectares under agroforestry systems. Another key element of this project is the storage of carbon dioxide (CO2), this project aims to capture 1.2 million ton CO2.
Paulo provided insights into Partnerships for Forests’ important role in supporting Form Peru’s project phases. “In phase one, Partnerships for Forests (P4F) supported with a feasibility analysis of the business, that also helped to better understand Peru’s forestry and timber industry, and provide support to attract investments” he explained. “We just finished the second phase, where we planted fast-growing tree species on 20 hectares of Form International Peru’s land and on 57 hectares we planted together with smallholders. And in the third phase of the project we want to expand the plantation to 60 hectares (plus buffer zones), and an expansion to 50 hectares for outgrowers”. In reflecting on the collaboration, Paulo highlights the holistic approach of the initiative. Collaborative action is how we achieve change across value chains. He stressed the importance of community involvement, acknowledging, “Despite its significant forest cover, Peru has been grappling with a high deforestation rate, Form International has undertaken the ambitious task of piloting a tree-planting business in Peru.“
Making impact together
The collaborative efforts between Partnerships for Forests and Form International exemplify the transformative power of strategic partnerships in the development of projects on sustainable land use practices and protecting the world’s precious forests. This forest landscape restoration project in Peru showcases how collaborative initiatives can lead to positive impacts on both people and the planet. Together, we are sowing the seeds of change, cultivating a sustainable future for Peru’s invaluable natural heritage and its people.
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Please read more about this project on the website of Form International.
Please read more about this project on the website of Partnerships for Forests.