PROJECT DESCRIPTION: VCS Version 3
ALTO HUAYABAMBA: CARBON DIOXIDE SEQUESTRATION THROUGH REFORESTATION WITH SMALL- SCALE FARMERS IN PERU, SAN MARTIN REGION
Document Prepared By: Pur Projet
Project Title ALTO HUAYABAMBA : CARBON DIOXIDE SEQUESTRATION THROUGH REFORESTATION WITH SMALL-SCALE FARMERS IN PERU, SAN MARTIN REGION
Version Version 7.0
Date of Issue December 02, 2011
Prepared By Pur Projet
Contact 20, Passage de la Bonne Graine, 75003 Paris (+33) 9 81 30 91 43 [email protected] www.purprojet.com
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Table of Contents
1 Project Details ...... 4 1.1 Summary Description of the Project ...... 4 1.2 Sectoral Scope and Project Type ...... 5 1.3 Project Proponent ...... 6 1.4 Other Entities Involved in the Project ...... 6 1.5 Project Start Date ...... 6 1.6 Project Crediting Period ...... 6 1.7 Project Scale and Estimated GHG Emission Reductions or Removals ...... 7 1.8 Description of the Project Activity ...... 8 1.8.1 Plantations models ...... 8 1.8.2 Species and varieties selected ...... 9 1.8.3 Technology employed in the activity ...... 10 1.8.4 Transfer of technology/know-how...... 15 1.9 Project Location ...... 17 1.10 Conditions Prior to Project Initiation...... 20 1.10.1 Description of land-use before the project ...... 20 1.10.2 Assessment of the eligibility of land following the AR-AMS0001 Methodology ..... 21 1.11 Compliance with Laws, Statutes and Other Regulatory Frameworks ...... 22 1.12 Ownership and Other Programs ...... 22 1.12.1 Proof of Title ...... 22 1.12.2 Emissions Trading Programs and Other Binding Limits ...... 23 1.12.3 Participation under Other GHG Programs ...... 24 1.12.4 Other Forms of Environmental Credit ...... 24 1.12.5 Projects Rejected by Other GHG Programs ...... 24 1.13 Additional Information Relevant to the Project ...... 25
2 Application of Methodology ...... 34 2.1 Title and Reference of Methodology ...... 34 2.2 Applicability of Methodology ...... 34 2.3 Project Boundary ...... 36 2.4 Baseline Scenario ...... 36 2.4.1 Baseline stratification ...... 36 2.4.2 Baseline scenario ...... 39 2.5 Additionality ...... 39 2.6 Methodology Deviations ...... 43
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3 Quantification of GHG Emission Reductions and Removals ...... 44 3.1 Baseline Emissions ...... 44 3.2 Project Emissions ...... 44 3.2.1 Calculation of project GHG removals ...... 44 3.2.2 Estimation of project emissions ...... 47 3.3 Leakage ...... 47 3.4 Summary of GHG Emission Reductions and Removals ...... 50
4 Monitoring ...... 51 4.1 Data and Parameters Available at Validation ...... 51 4.2 Data and Parameters Monitored ...... 52 4.3 Description of the Monitoring Plan ...... 54 4.3.1 Monitoring plan ...... 54 4.3.2 Organizational structure for monitoring ...... 58 4.3.3 Quality control and quality assurance procedures ...... 59 4.3.4 Adaptative management plan ...... 61
5 Environmental Impact ...... 61
6 Stakeholder Comments ...... 63
History of the document ...... 65
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1 PROJECT DETAILS
1.1 Summary Description of the Project
The project was initiated by The Pure Project (“Pur Projet”), a French company specialized in carbon management, after observing the erosion and unproductive state of some small-scale farmers’ land in the San Martin Region, North Peru. As a matter of fact, there is an urge in Peru to participate to reforestation, as this country suffers from a deforestation rate of 260 000 hectares per year in average (67 000 ha average / year for the state of San Martin where the project is located). As a consequence of this deforestation and inappropriate land uses, most of the land remains unproductive. The migratory agriculture, the traditional swidden agriculture and the previous large scale coca production are the main responsible of this situation of widespread deforestation, causing substantial emissions of greenhouse gases.1,2
Figure 1: Deforestation map in San Martín Region (2006 and projection for 2009). Source: Regional Government of San Martín.
The purpose of the project is to reforest these lands in association with small-scale farmers, volunteer members of the ACOPAGRO cooperative, and promote sustainable forestry. The producers receive information about effects of climate change, deforestation and its consequences (soil erosion, water availability decrease, natural disaster, landscapes degradation, biodiversity decrease and so on…) and about the way of mitigate it by planting trees. Each farmers willing to act for the environment receives a combination of fast, medium and long growing native species to take care of, until they reach the minimum legal diameter to be cut and to sell marketable timber at short, mid and long term. In order to ensure the sustainability of the project, each farmer is paid Sol/.1,00 ($US 0.30) per tree planted, and will be trained and controlled throughout the years by the Acopagro team of agronomists.
1 D. YANGGEN, 1999. « DEFORESTACIÓN EN LA SELVA PERUANA: UN ANÁLISIS DEL IMPACTO DE LOS DIVERSOS PRODUCTOS AGROPECUARIOS Y TECNOLOGÍAS DE PRODUCCIÓN”. Seminario Permanente de Investigación Agraria VIII. v3.0 4 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: VCS Version 3
In total, more than 2 300 ha shared by 1 800 small-scale farmers organized in Acopagro cooperative will be reforested, in the North of Peru, Region San Martin, provinces of Mariscal Caceres, Huallaga, Bellavista and Picota. The lands to reforest are cocoa plantations (64%), “purmas” (unproductive lands2 : 33%), and others plantations (3%). The aim is to plant 2 million of trees over a period of 6 years for a total of 1 150 000 tons of additional CO2 equivalent captured on 40 years.
Most of all, the Alto Huayabamba Project adds to sustainable development, offering social, environmental and economic benefits.
- It helps people reforest and therefore bring an added value to their lands and ensure them a long- term income that can be used to pay for the studies of their children or for their retirement pension. As a consequence, it will provoke a local socio-economic development.
- It fights deforestation and its consequences, such as soil erosion, decrease of water availability, natural disasters, landscapes degradation, and decrease of biodiversity. It also increases farmers’ awareness about these primordial issues.
- It promotes agro-forestry, an agricultural system which enables access to environmental services recognized by the Peruvian law: conservation of water resources, preservation of biodiversity, conservation of landscapes, protection against natural disasters (Forestry Law N° 27308, year 2000), and fire risks control. Agro-forestry systems keeps on being the best strategy of management and protection against the global climate change effects.
- Last but not least, it will create carbon credits, and therefore contribute to the climate change mitigation through economic implication of large organizations.
The project is developed as a long-term project, with a project longevity of 80 years (maintenance of management practices over 80 years)
1.2 Sectoral Scope and Project Type
- Sectoral scope : AFOLU - AFOLU project category : ARR - Activities (CDM classification): o Grassland to forested land o Cropland to forested land
The project is not a grouped project.
2 MEZA A., SABOGAL C., DE JONG W., 2006. “Rehabilitación de áreas degradadas en la Amazonia peruana. Revisión de experiencias y lecciones aprendidas.” CIFOR, 2006. v3.0 5 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: VCS Version 3
1.3 Project Proponent
- Project Proponent : Pur Projet
- Contact: Tristan Lecomte, 20 Passage de la Bonne Graine, 75003 Paris, phone: (+33) 9 81 30 91 43, [email protected]
- Roles / responsibilities: The Project Proponent Pur Projet is the project developer, who started the project on the field, set-up the plantations, monitoring processes and build-up the local management team.
1.4 Other Entities Involved in the Project
Acopagro:
A cooperative of 1800 small cocoa producers in Peru, in charge of the plantation of the seedlings and the follow-up of the project, including FSC certification and sustainable forestry husbandry. The idea is to use the planting capacity of Acopagro cooperative members to develop the project at a large scale. Acopagro has proved many successes both in Fair Trade and organic fields. This strong structure is a solid partner for the plantation. Moreover, producers are dedicated to sustainability and willing to value their land by the plantation of native trees, in order to receive future incomes from marketable timber sales and to be actors of climate change mitigation.
Seedlings suppliers:
- Fondebosque: national public/private company based in Tarapoto, producer of seedlings and promoter of native trees reforestation in Peru. (Peru 2015 sustainable forest objective, www.fondebosque.org.pe ).
- Reforesta Peru: a reforestation Peruvian company based in Lima, with a branch office in Tarapoto: producer of seedlings and technical assistance following exact same procedures as Fondebosque and improved seedling management techniques. Reforesta also conducts trainings for Acopagro team of agronomists, and contributes to farmers training as well.
1.5 Project Start Date
April 1st 2008 is the starting date of the proposed A/R CDM project activity crediting period.
Real action of the small scale AR-CDM project activity started the 1st of April 2008 by establishing the first plantation.
1.6 Project Crediting Period
The crediting period is from April 1st 2008 to April 1st 2048. The length of the crediting period is 40 years.
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1.7 Project Scale and Estimated GHG Emission Reductions or Removals
Project X Mega-project
Years Estimated GHG emission reductions or removals (tCO2e) 2008 0 2009 528 2010 2 976 2011 15 108 2012 41 782 2013 93 003 2014 168 327 2015 242 498 2016 313 311 2017 384 636 2018 449 073 2019 509 245 2020 570 504 2021 628 611 2022 691 275 2023 758 970 2024 825 559 2025 889 820 2026 945 540 2027 988 543 2028 1 012 575 2029 1 021 450 2030 1 030 388 2031 1 039 211 2032 1 047 901 2033 1 056 416 2034 1 064 715 2035 1 072 754 2036 1 080 501 2037 1 088 036 2038 1 095 270 2039 1 102 254 2040 1 109 120 2041 1 115 734 2042 1 122 145 2043 1 128 076 2044 1 133 807 2045 1 139 163 2046 1 144 428 2047 1 150 236 2048 1 155 772 Total estimated ERs 1 155 7720 Total number of crediting years 40 Average annual ERs 28 756
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The Long-Term Average Emission Removals is 998 698 tCO2e, calculated according to the AFOLU Requirements section 5.4.3.1.b. and AFOLU Guidance: Example for Calculating the Long-Term Average Carbon Stock for ARR Projects with Harvesting. The period over which the long-term average is calculated is the project longevity: 80 years.
1.8 Description of the Project Activity
The purpose of the project is to reforest degraded lands and lands cultivated with cocoa, in association with small-scale farmers, volunteer members of the ACOPAGRO cooperative, and to promote sustainable agriculture through agroforestry and sustainable forestry in the long term.
The producers receive information about effects of climate change, deforestation and its consequences (soil erosion, water availability decrease, natural disaster, landscapes degradation, biodiversity decrease and so on…) and about the way of mitigate it by planting trees. They also receive information and training about agroforestry techniques and combination of tree plantations with cocoa cultivation.
Each farmers willing to participate chooses a plantation model based on the specificities of his land, and receives a combination of fast, medium and long growing native species to plant and take care of, until they reach the minimum legal diameter to be cut and to sell marketable timber at short, mid and long term. In order to ensure the sustainability of the project, each farmer is paid for each tree planted and maintained, and will be trained and controlled throughout the years by the Acopagro team of agronomists.
The plantations of the trees will occur in the first years of the project. The duration of the project activities (monitoring, maintenance, pruning, thinning, harvesting) is 80 years.
The sequestration of the carbon in the planted timber trees will allow to generate GHG emission removals.
1.8.1 Plantations models
- Model 1 “Lindero”: Plantations of trees in lines, mostly around the parcel, every 3 metres
- Model 2 “Agroforestal”: Alternate of cocoa and trees fringes, trees planted at 3 x 3 metres, 252 trees / hectare
- Model 3 “Forestal”: Forestry, only trees planted at 3 x 3 metres, 1111 trees / hectare
Fig 15 : Schematics of the three plantation models
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1.8.2 Species and varieties selected
The choice of species is based on site evaluations and according to farmers’ needs.
Tree selection depends on proven suitability for the specific site conditions and purposes of trees in the agroforestry or forestry systems (timber production, shade, soil improvement, etc). Principally native species will be used.
Agroforestry systems Systems combining tree plantation with perennial crops and/or fruit trees - Crops: cacao (Theobroma cacao), coffee (Coffea Arabica), Achiote (Bixa orellana), Copoasu (Theobroma grandiflorum) - Trees: Trees species chosen for shade and wood production purposes
Plantations for sustainable wood production Only native tree species will be planted, except for the Tectona grandis and the Acrocarpus Fraxinifolius which will be planted only on a small scale (less than 25 % of total trees planted). Species-site matching is done according forestry procedures developed by Reforesta Peru, available on request.
For the proposed project activity, 11 tree species were chosen:
Table 3 : Proposed species characteristics.
Minimum Average Basic Wood Growth legal cut Tree Local Name Scientific name Family Origin age at cut Density (t speed diameter height (m) (years) dm/m3) (cm)
Shaina Colubrina Glandulosa Ramnaceae Native very high 41 10 3 to 5 0,74
Pinochuncho Schizolobium Amazonicum Fabaceae Native very high 41 10 12 to 16 0,49
Exotic Cedro Rosado Acrocarpus Fraxinifolius Leguminoseae very high 41 10 30 to 60 0,55 - 0,70 (India,Asia) Bolaina Guazuma Crinita sterculaceae Native very high 41 10 12 to 15 0,52
Capirona Calycophyllum Spruceanum Rubiaceae Native high 41 15 20 to 35 0,65
Paliperro Vitex Pseudolea Berbenaceae Native high 41 15 8 to 15 0,56
Exotic Teca Tectona Grandis Lamiaceae high 41 18 25 to 30 0,50 - 0,55 (India, Asia) Tornillo Cedrelinga catenaeformis Fabaceae Native medium 41 25 40 0,41 - 0,53
Estoraque Miroxylon Balsamum Fabaceae Native medium 41 25 34 0,76
Cedro Nativo Cedrela odorata Meliaceae Native low 65 35 to 40 20 to 30 0,40
Caoba Swietenia Macrophylla Meliaceae Native low 75 35 to 40 20 to 35 0,42 - 0,54
Sources: See document AH - List of tree species – v5.xlsx appended to the PDD
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1.8.3 Technology employed in the activity
Involvement of Farmers
To motivate farmers to change their actual land use practices a participative approach is undertaken: - Farmers within their organization Acopagro have participated in the design and implementation of the project; - During the consolidation phase of the project, farmers and Acopagro will play an active role in setting the policies and strategies of the project.
1. Voluntary Approach
After various trainings and meetings about: - Climate change, - Deforestation and its consequences (erosion, soils losses, biodiversity loss, loss of water quality and quantity…), - Description of the proposed activity - Agroforestry techniques and benefits, the farmers volunteers registered themselves to enter the project, and chose the species and the plantations design they wanted. This process has been conducted over a period of two years, to include a maximum of farmers and help them integrate the process.
They are in charge of growing the trees, in particular as they own the produced timber. They are followed and trained on a regular basis by an Acopagro team of agronomists and a dedicated project team on site within Acopagro. Acopagro is in charge as well of purchasing the seedlings, transporting and distributing them to the farmers. All timber products issued from this project will be monitored, managed and distributed via Acopagro to ensure sustainable practices and maximum revenues for the farmers.
2. Promotion and Education
A training package has been developed to increase farmers’ awareness and expertise on climate change, carbon sequestration, agroforestry techniques. The training package is described in A.5.5. It includes in particular: - Information about climate change, deforestation and its consequences, the way to sequestrate carbon dioxide by growing trees, in order to create awareness in the farmers’ communities. - Farmers training to create the necessary knowledge and skills regarding the new land practices.
3. Economic incentives
- An economic incentive system for tree plantation is implemented: each farmer will receive S/.1.00 ($US 0.33) per tree planted, and does not pay for the seedling.
- Wood products are promoted as a way to ensure a future income for the farmers. This future income could be used by the farmers in several ways, such as retirement pension (farmers haven’t subscribed to a pension), or money growing for the education of their children or grandchildren. 80 % of the income coming from the sales of timber or co-products goes back to the farmer; 20% goes to Acopagro cooperative for managing timber activities. The internal rules of the project specify how the timber activity is managed and profits shared between stakeholders.
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4. Legal Arrangements
- A contract is signed between each landowner and Acopagro, underlining commitments for the cooperative ACOPAGRO and for the farmer to be part of the proposed activity. A copy of a typical contract is available upon request. The contract specifies that the farmers owns the timber, all wood products and that they transfer the carbon credits to Acopagro Cooperative.
- A contract is signed between Acopagro and The Pure Project, in which The Pure Project commits in particular to pay the cooperative for the plantation of trees. In exchange, Acopagro commits to transfer the carbon credits to the French company The Pure Project.
- Within 3 years after the planting, the parcels are registered in the Administration of the Forestry and Forest Fauna Techniques (INRENA, Administracion Tecnicas forestal y Fauna Silvestre), which is the regional authority in charge of the control of forest activities, to control illegal harvesting. This will enable timber activities on planted areas.
5. Farm visits (internal monitoring system)
- Compliance to the contract during the various stages of project implementation is regularly monitored by ACOPAGRO through site visits.
- Before each plantation wave, the areas to be planted are measured with a GPS and entered in a GIS system.
- After each plantation wave, the Acopagro team of agronomists visits the planted parcels to monitor and count the trees planted and the mortality.
Plantation design and forest management system
The plantation design is made for each parcel of each farmer, according to the available species, the land use selected by the farmer, and the characteristics of the site (soils, slope, drainage, flooding risk, current land-use, and surface).
Distance between the trees is 3m (3 x 3 m). The plantation designs for each model are described in Section 1.8.1
All plantations are managed by the farmers thanks to a general management plan, communicated through practical and theoretical trainings, and controlled by on-sites visits, adjusted periodically after field observations.
The forest will be harvested exclusively via Acopagro, using a polycyclic harvesting system .The farmers controlled by the cooperative and by the Administration of the Forestry and Forest Fauna Techniques will cut first the short term species in his parcel, then the medium term species, then the long term species. All logged trees will be replaced, following a sustainable forestry plan adapted to each design.
Nursery techniques
The seedlings are bought from Fondebosque and Reforesta Peru when they are 20cm high (around 3 month old).
The seedlings suppliers are in charge of seeds selection and seedling production:
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- The native seeds came from certified seeds evaluated by the seedlings provider. The exotic seeds (Tectona Grandis) came from the main office in Lima, and bought to recognized seeds providers (e.g. CATIE).
- The production protocol is the following: o Preparation of the substrate: mineralized sugar cane, river sand, and burnt rice husks (in 3/1/2 proportions). These components are mixed together and disinfected in a mixer operator. o Filling by hand of black plastic bags, recipients of the seeds,(14 cm long and 5 cm diameter) with the substrate o Implantation of the seeds in the recipients: seeds are sown by hand, one after the other. o Irrigation through sprinkler and micro sprinkler according to the seedling needs along its development. o Constant selection of the seedlings at each transfer from one greenhouse to the other, and before the shipment to Acopagro. o When they are big enough (10-15cm), the seedlings are taken out of the nursery to get used to the climatic conditions, for a period of time up to 2 months.
- The seedlings are then transported by truck and boat to the farmers’ communities.
Reforesta is also implicated in trainings of Acopagro team and farmers, in order to help them develop and manage sustainably the reforestation activities.
Site preparation
Sites are prepared to enhance the early growth and development of the planted seedlings. - Weeding: a 30cm-diameter-circle is weeded around the planting point. The operation is done by hand, using a machete.
- Hole preparation: a 30cm x 30cm x 30cm hole is dug, by hand, using a shovel. CO2 Emissions are not significant due to the low soil disturbance caused by this form of site preparation (less than 10% of total surface)
Planting
The farmers are in charge of planting.
- They plant the trees according to the sketch of the future plantation, done previously with a member of Acopagro team for each parcel.
- The planting is done by hand, in the rainy season, in the early morning or at the end of the day, when the sun is not too high.
- Finally, the farmer waters the new planted tree.
- Within 3 weeks after the plantation, the parcel is controlled by the Acopagro agronomists team to check the cleaning of the area and to count the number of dead trees.
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Tending and Weed control
Weed control is crucial to reach the good development of the trees. Weeds are controlled manually with machete, two months after the plantation and then 8 times during the three first years of growth, according to the internal rules of the reforestation program.
Pest Controls
Our experience with the older plantations shows that there two main pests to control:
- Arriera (atta and acromyrmex) : a kind of ant which cuts the leaves of the young trees. The control of this pest is to block their way with ash or limestone, or to spray Biol on the leaves for its repulsive properties. If the attack is observed, the farmer will first have to identify the anthill’s location, then cover it with compost in decomposition upon the orifices, and cover it with plastics. This will stop the development of the anthill.
- Hipsiphila Grandella: a leptidopter, whose larva attacks the apex of the species Swietenia Macrophylla and Cedrelata Odorata, altering the rectilinear growth of the trunk. The control is made by plantation of repulsive species (e.g., “hierba luisa”, “rosa sissa”). To complicate the expansion of the pest, the vulnerable species are planted randomly in the parcels, in limited number (less than 25 per ha). Once the tree is attacked, the farmer will have to look for the pest and kill it manually.
In these two cases, the control is organic. If other pest or a disease appears, the control will also be exclusively organic.
Thinning and Pruning
In order to maximize the proportion of large stems and the quality of the wood, pruning and thinning is implemented.
- Pruning: to obtain a high quality timber, pruning is done in the vegetative rest period of the trees (july-september) or at the end of the rainy season (may-june). The activity of pruning is done the first years with a secateur, and will be done afterwards with telescopic secateur or manual saws. Pruning is done manually, according to the characteristics of the species.
- Thinning: in order to improve the growth of the trees, thinning could be implemented starting in the 6th year after the planting, according to the characteristics of the species. Thinning will be done manually, with an axe or a chain saw.
Measurements
In order to know the volume of wood they have in their parcel, and to calculate the amount of sequestrated carbon in each parcel, each farmer will be responsible for measuring its planted trees once a year in July.
The farmers will have to measure and report the following indicators: - Trunk diameter at breast height (height of 1,30m) - Height of tree
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To do this activity, the farmers will receive a specific training on measurements by Acopagro team and Reforesta. They will also be provided with a plastic tape measure and plastic cards to identify the measured trees. The farmers will report the measurements in a paper folder provided by Acopagro to each farmer.
To ensure the measurements are done, one voluntary farmer in each community will be designated as in charge of the measurements. His role is to make sure all famers in the community report the measurements once a year.
Harvesting
The forest will be harvested using a polycyclic harvesting system. According to the recommendations of Acopagro cooperative and the Administration of the Forestry and Forest Fauna Techniques, the farmers will cut first the short term species in his parcel, then the medium term species, then the long term species.
The harvesting methodology is the following: the Acopagro Cooperative or the timber buyer will come on the field to choose the trees to cut, prepare the access way from the road, cut down the trees and transport them to the processing center.
According to the forestry plan, no more than 1.5% of the standing timber volumes will be harvested in any years. This very small harvesting percentage is less the natural growth rate of timber stocks per ha in the remaining standing trees after removals. Moreover, all cut trees will be replaced by new planted trees.
This management ensures sustainable forest stock management, and the maintenance of carbon stocks close to a fixed asymptotic level throughout the project longevity of 80 years (around 1 160 000 t CO2 in planted trees) (See appended model : AH - Carbon calculations & Forestry Plan - 05112011 – v8.0.xls for details)
Fire Control
Since the proposed activity is located in one of the most humid areas in the world, fire risk is extremely low. However, the farmers will receive trainings about fire risks, and the farmers presenting a fire risk (for example when the neighbors use slash and burn practices) will implement a five-meter-large protection strip around the parcel, two months before the end of the rainy season.
Wind fall control
There’s very few wind damages in the region. However, to reduce the risk, trees barriers are planted to break the wind forces.
The overall chronogram of activities in the plantations will be the following:
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WORK FORCE YEAR ACTIVITY INPUTS/ TOOLS (DAYS OF WORK) Weed control machete 1 Site preparation shovel 3 string pegs Planting 2 Fertilizing biol (L) 1 1 manual spray machine Post planting weed control machete 4 Pest and disease controls biol, ash or limestone 26 manual spray machine or shovel Pruning secateur 4 manual saw Pruning secateur, manual saw 4 Pest and disease 2 controls(Observation of Hipsipilla 25 Grandiflora) Post planting weed control machete 4 Pruning secateur 6 telescopic secateur manual saw 3 Pest and disease controls(Observation of Hipsipilla 25 Grandiflora) secateur, telescopic secateur, Pruning 6 manual saw Pest and disease controls(Observation of Hipsipilla 25 4 Grandiflora) Combustible: 2 gallons of gas per Thining day chainsaw 7 Transport to Juanjui secateur, telescopic secateur, 5 Pruning 4 manual saw 6 7 8 9 10 harvest done by the client 11 12 13 14 15 harvest done by the client 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 harvest done by the client 26 27 28 29 30 Table 4: Activity plan in forest plantation
1.8.4 Transfer of technology/know-how
Capacity building and transfer of technology and know-how are primordial for the implementation of the project.
The farmers
The farmers and their organization Acopagro are the most important stakeholders for the success of the project implementation. For this reason, when they subscribe to the project, they agree to come to each training session.
They receive oral trainings and practical training about the following issues:
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Table 5: Training plan for farmers:
Subject Format Timing - Species description Before the planting - Planting, fertilizing, and cleaning methodologies Oral course activities - Protection against fire risk - Thinning and Pruning techniques Oral course and field training Within 1 year after - Pests and diseases management ("escuela de campo") plantation
Oral course and field training Within 2 years after Pests and diseases management ("escuela de campo") plantation
Oral course and field training Within 2 yearz after Tree measurements ("escuela de campo") plantation
Oral course and field training Within 3 to 4 years Thinning techniques and thinning products market ("escuela de campo") after plantation
Oral course and field training Within 7 year after Harvest and post harvest treatment ("escuela de campo") plantation
Climate change, deforestation and impacts, carbon Encuentros cooperativos 3 times a year sequestration Financial, legal, and admnisitrative issues linked to the Encuentros cooperativos 3 times a year project Update on the project progress Encuentros cooperativos 3 times a year
Four training formats are used: oral courses, “encuentros cooperativos”, “escuelas de campo” and individual field visits.
- Oral courses will be provided to all farmers of one community, with a participative approach (questions time).
- The “Encuentros cooperativos” are meetings between the cooperative staff and all the farmers of one community. The aim is to inform the farmers about the development and state of the cooperative, financial issues, and give some trainings about cooperativism, fair-trade, organic labels, climate change, deforestation. It’s a three to four hours training in each community, three times per year.
- The “Escuelas de campo” (in English: field classes), are both theoretical and practical trainings about one theme on a specific farmer’s parcel, with the others farmers of the community. It’s a four to five hours training, where the farmers in groups first explain what they know about the theme, then the Engineer or the Technician teaches, and finally comes the practical training.
- In addition, all parcels are individually visited at least at the inscription to be part of the project (eligibility of the parcels), and then at least one time per year, by an extensionist, that is to say an Engineer or a Technician graduated in Forestry management in charge of field visits, to check the state of the parcels (number of trees, pests and diseases invasion…).
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ACOPAGRO Technicians
ACOPAGRO provides technical assistance in organic cultivation and forestry to each farmer member of the cooperative, thanks to the work of 10 dedicated Engineers and Technicians in Forestry and Agronomy, who visit each community every month, and every farmers individually twice a year. Their task is to train the producers on organic agriculture, fair trade, forestry activities and how to better manage their field.
As they are almost permanently in contact with the farmers, they are key persons for the good development of the project. That’s why they receive trainings each month on one subject (e.g., climate change, carbon sequestration, deforestation, sustainable forestry techniques) and overall updates on the project’s progress, so they can inform the farmers during their field visits.
The cooperative ACOPAGRO is very well organized and structured, and already a very performing fairtrade and organic cooperative. This is one of the main strength of the project.
Since the start of forestry activities, Acopagro team and farmers have shown great interest in the program and have dedicated themselves to it, sharing the vision of fighting climate change and increase their income with the sustainable harvest of timber.
1.9 Project Location
The project takes place in the Republic of Peru, in the Region San Martin, provincias of Mariscal Caceres, Picota, Huallaga, and Bellavista.
The concerned communities are:
Table 1: Name of the participating communities PROVINCIA MARISCAL CACERES Alto el Sol (43), Atahuallpa (16) Campanilla (43),Challuayacu(02), Huacamayo (03), Metalillo (04), Bagazán (51) Ramón Castilla (01), Balsayaquillo(01), silla(01),Cinco Unidos(01) Shumanza (27) San Ramón (40), Magdalena(19), San Juan del Caño(10) Balsayacu (54 ), Miramar (03), Alto Macana (03, Nuevo Junin (14) Dos de Mayo (26); Primavera (24), Marisol (15), Nueva Esperanza(17) Santa Rosa (17), Sanambo (08) Quinilla ( 02), Huinguillo ( 03), Miraflores (01), Shepte (35), Pucallpillo (20), Bello Horizonte (35) Armayari(16) Aucararca (15), Pampa Hermosa (20), Cuñumbuza (03), Los Angeles (01) Pizarro (27), Sanchima (11)
Bajo Juñao (06), Dos Unidos ( 13 ), Retama ( 03),Costa Rica (09), Mojarras (24 ), Santa Inés (21) , Monterrey (19) Capirona (13) ,Soledad (14 ), Sancudo ( 05), Sacanchillo (02), Nuvo Triunfo (02), Cerro Blanco(01) Chambira (76), PROVINCIA DE PICOTA – BELLAVISTA Cocama (03), Juanjuicillo (06), Bombonaje (02), Agua Azul (01) Pucacaca (21), Chincha alta(01), Nuevo Codo(01), Shimbillo (01), Cedropampa (13), Picota (02), Tres Unidos (09), Buenos Aires (02) La Victoria (11), Villaprado (07), Richoja (02), Miraflores (02), Sanja Panamá (09), San Hilarión ( 05), Caspizapa (08), Puerto Rico (06), La Seca (02), Calcuchima (01), Jesús María (01) Libertad (11) Ledoy ( 23) Bellavista ( 9), Tingo Saposoa ( 07), Limón (03) Pajarillo (24), Viveres (06), San José de Juñao (06) Huingoyacu (22), Shamboyacu (01) Cayena (17), Huayabamba (06), Gervacio (04) PROVINCIA DE HUALLAGA – SAPOSOA Huicungo (87), Machaco (01),Churo ( 02), San Juan Abiseo (05), Sacanche (06),Piscoyacu (10), Saposoa (25) , Paltaico (05), Shima (01), San Andrés (03), Ahuihua (8), Montevideo (06), Intiyacu ( 03) , San Miguel (03),
Alto Cachiyacu (03), Silcache(02), Collpa (03), Limón (01), Chambira (02), Chorrillos (05), Tanger (06), San Regis(02), Pintillo (24), Sitully (02), Yacusisa (01), Alto Gramalote (01), Santa Fé (01) Pachiza (32) Yacusisa (20), Pasarraya (37) Ricardo Palma (29) Nueva Vida (31) (*) The values between brackets are the numbers of Acopagro members per village. v3.0 17 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: VCS Version 3
The area of the proposed activity is located in North Peru, in the jungle (“Selva alta”) part.
Figure 2: Map of project location
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Figure 3: Location of the areas identified to be planted
In the map above are the areas to be planted in the Mariscal Caceres province in the small scale A/R CDM project activity,
The geographical coordinates of the boundaries of each of the parcels of land included in the proposed activity are determined with a GPS (GPS MAP60Csx, positional accuracy 1 to 4 m). The complete list of parcels’ GPS coordinates in UTM 18 or WGS 1984 is available from plantation register in database
As an example, below is the parcel of degraded area of Aroldo Tuesta Lopez, Pajarillo village, UTM coordinate: 18M317000 9202418, 18M 317038 9202316. As for this example, all farmers’ parcels to be reforested were measured by GPS. The coordinates and GIS features of all parcels are stored in the database with a unique identification code (1-5-PAJ-477-PU in this case)
Figure 4 : Example of GPS data for one parcel to be reforested
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1.10 Conditions Prior to Project Initiation
The complete list of parcels reforested as part of the project is available in the plantation database. The latter describes current land-use of the parcel and details historic land-use over the last 25 years.
97% of the parcels reforested have been deforested for more than 10 years before the beginning of the project. The parcels deforested in the last ten years (3% of the parcels) have been removed from the eligible project boundary.
In any case, no deforestation activity was triggered by the project with the objective of reclaiming the GHG removals of the reforested biomass. The project is only claiming GHG removals due to reforestation and sequestration of carbon in the trees biomass. The project has therefore not generated GHG emission for the purpose of their subsequent removal.
1.10.1 Description of land-use before the project
There are three types of pre-project land-uses in the parcels reforested in the scope of the project:
Degraded land (“purma”) - The moderately degraded areas present a medium height of vegetation (crown cover around 20-25%, around 3 to 4 meters high), with decreasing yields and soil fertility. - The severely degraded areas present a low height of vegetation (crown cover about 5%, 1 to 3m high). The indicator is the presence of invasive vegetation like “shapumba” (Pteridium), “caschaucsha” (Imperata) or “pasto”. These unproductive areas are abandoned by the farmers. F i gure 5 : Purma” of the farmer Aquiles Pinedo Ruiz (377) (village: la Victoria).
Cocoa plantations :
- Cocoa fields (64%). The concerned cocoa fields are in installation (that is to say less than two years old) or already in production. The tree height is from 1 to 3m high and the crown cover between 0 and 30%.
Figure 6: Cocoa field in installation combined with cassava and banana - Potenciano Tuanama Caballero in Ledoy (65)
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Annual crops : - The annual crops are typically corn, rice or other annual crops - Because of past intensive use, soils fertility is low. After harvest, the land will typically remain as fallow for several years. Farmers prefer therefore to convert it to agroforestry or pure forestry land within the scope of the project
Figure 7 : Rice field of a farmer in Juan Jui
1.10.2 Assessment of the eligibility of land following the AR-AMS0001 Methodology
As communicated by the Peruvian DNA, the Peruvian Government defines forests as land with: - A minimum area of 0,5 hectares; - A minimum tree crown cover of 30 %; and - A minimum tree height of 5 meters. Therefore, the threshold values of the forest definition of Peruvian government comply with the UNFCCC definition and are to be used for the purposes of the Kyoto Protocol.
Land eligibility
The land eligibility was demonstrated using the “Procedures to Demonstrate the Eligibility of Lands for Afforestation and Reforestation CDM Project Activities”: http://cdm.unfccc.int/Reference/Procedures/methAR_proc03.pdf
To determine the eligibility of the areas: - A preliminary location of the parcels in the deforestation map (2008), made by the Regional government of San Martin, which gave an idea of the current deforestation state of the parcels. This map is based on LandSAT TM satellite images (accuracy 30m). The map’s scale is too large (1:800 000) for parcels of some hectares. That’s why it’s just used as an indication. - A ground-based survey based on the ENCOFOR methodology has been realized to determine o The current land uses, o The existing vegetation to check that the parcels are below the Peruvians forest’s thresholds and are not temporarily unstocked, o The historic land use since 1989 (deforestation before 2000 being the threshold for eligibility for VCS validation), o The description of land tenure/property, o The adaptability of the species to the parcels, o GPS measurements of each parcel
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Activity eligibility
The proposed activity of the project is to plant trees in Acopagro producers’s fields and degraded lands, with an average of 450 trees per hectare. Given the characteristics of the chosen tree species (see paragraph A.5.3) and the plantation designs (see B.5), the targeted plantation reaches the Peruvian definition of a forest, in terms of height, crown coverage and area.
The proposed activity is hence a reforestation activity, according to the Peruvian definition of a forest.
To be eligible for AR-AMS0001, the project occurs on grasslands or croplands where less than 10% of the total surface project area is disturbed as result of soil preparation for planting.
As a result of the former steps, 2 300 ha have been recorded as eligible for VCS Validation, following the AR-AMS0001 Methodology.
1.11 Compliance with Laws, Statutes and Other Regulatory Frameworks
The project has been approved independently by the regional government of San Martin region and by the “Instituto de Cultivos Tropicales” (ICT), with official recognition that: - The project complies with environmental law of Peru - The project doesn’t threaten endangered species - The project has a positive impact on the environment The approval letters from the regional government and the ICT are available for consultation as part of the documentation along the project description document
Additionally, the regional government and the ministry of agriculture and of environment of Peru are supporting the project. The regional government has for example supported actively the creation of the San Martin Verde Consortium, created on the Project Proponent’s instigation in order to group all the initiatives and projects in favor of the forest in the region. The Alto Huayabamba project is part of this consortium.
The active support from the regional government indicates that the project complies with all laws and regulatory frameworks.
1.12 Ownership and Other Programs
1.12.1 Proof of Title
Land ownership
Land tenure by farmer can be found in the plantation database.
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Land has been occupied since the eighties, and most of the farmers are the first owners of their land, and have lived on their lands for almost 30 years.
Discussions with the regional government and ministry of agriculture were conducted in the scope of this project. The government has committed to issue legal land titles to all farmers participating to the project.
The process of land titling is ongoing for the participating farmers. Currently, farmers are at different stages of registration of their land and issuance of legal title:
- Legal land title: 49% of farmers Legal land title issued by the Ministry of Agriculture or COFOPRI, which is the government entity in charge of conferring titles for land. For 31%, the legal title is registered at national level in public registers For 18%, the legal land title is issued but registration at national level is not completed yet
- Ownership certificate (“constancia de posesion”): 10 % of farmers Certificate issued by the agriculture agency (“Agencia Agraria”), which represents a first step in the issuance of a legal land title by the Ministry of Agriculture.
- Community certificate: 5 % of farmers Certificate issued by the community. The community has a so-called foundation statement, including a map. Land distribution within those communities is an internal process and land property is certified by the community.
- Purchasing contract: 21 % of farmers When the farmers are not the original settlers, most of them don’t hand the legal title of the land, but are in possession of a notarized purchasing contract showing they bought the land from the previous landholder
- No title: 15% of the farmers don’t have any title yet. However, as explained above, land ownership can be proven by the community, which could issue a community certificate to the farmers with no title, and government has committed to issue legal land titles to all participating farmers.
According to the forestry law the landholder is owner of the trees planted. This means that the landowner is owner of the carbon pools as well.
Transfer of the emission rights
Every farmers participating in the program sign a contract with Acopagro setting the conditions of their participation in the program, in which they agree to transfer all of their emission rights to the cooperative Acopagro.
In another contract between Acopagro and The Pure Project, Acopagro commits to transfer all the emission rights and VERs to Pur Projet.
1.12.2 Emissions Trading Programs and Other Binding Limits
The VERs generated by the GHG emission reductions of the project will be sold exclusively on the voluntary market, to private or public organizations willing to voluntarily offset their emissions.
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The Project Proponent itself does not have any binding limits on GHG emissions, and does not look for any compliance with an emissions trading program.
1.12.3 Participation under Other GHG Programs
The project has not been registered under any other GHG programs and is not seeking registration under any other GHG programs.
Also, the project is not a debundled component of a larger project activity:
The project proponent develops project activities together with farmers and within Acopagro cooperative activities. The area of influence of the cooperative is quite large (4 provinces), and the number of associated farmers is high (around 1800) and dispersed on a large territory. The project will gradually roll out the A/R project activities. This gradual roll out is a requirement since it is impossible to contract all farmers in the anticipated 2 300 ha at the same time before the activity starts.
However, farmer groups participating in this A/R project activity are clearly identified and cannot participate to another A/R project as stated in their contract with Acopagro Cooperative. Farmers in A/R project activity will be represented by one farmer, a farmer’s association or another community-based organisation, being the formal participant in the project (see Section 3.5).
Moreover, there is no registered small-scale A/R CDM project activity, nor application to register another small-scale CDM project activity that conforms to criteria for determining the occurrence of debundling: a) With the same project participants; b) Registered within the previous two years; c) Whose project boundary is within 1 km of the project boundary of the proposed small-scale A/R CDM activity at the closest point.
Therefore, in compliance with the debundling rules (Annex C para 3a of 20/CMP.1), the project is not a debundled component of a larger project activity.
1.12.4 Other Forms of Environmental Credit
The project has not participated in any other program of environmental crediting for GHG emission removals.
The project does not intend to generate any other kind of environmental credit other than through the VCS Program. The Project Proponent aims to finance the project through the sales of VERs issued under the VCS program only to private companies buying VERs as voluntary offsetting of their emissions.
Any other form of environmental credit for GHG removals would not be valued extra by the companies offsetting voluntarily their emissions and would therefore not be envisioned by the Project Proponent.
1.12.5 Projects Rejected by Other GHG Programs
The project has not participated in any other GHG programs and has therefore not been rejected by any of them.
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1.13 Additional Information Relevant to the Project
1.13.1. Eligibility Criteria for grouped projects
The project is not developed as grouped projects.
1.13.2. Leakage Management
As described in 3.3., and in accordance with the methodology applied, leakage is considered to be nil. There will be no leakage management measures. However, leakage will be monitored over the lifetime of the project, as described in 3.3.
1.13.3. Commercially Sensitive Information
No commercially sensitive information has been excluded from the public version of the project description.
1.13.4. Further Information
1.13.4.1 Environmental conditions of the project area
The project is located in the Amazonia River watershed, in the “high” and “bottom” parts of the Peruvian Jungle. From a biophysical perspective the portfolio area is quite uniform; the terrain is relatively flat with hill areas, the soil texture and depth remain relatively homogeneous throughout.
Climatic conditions:
The proposed A/R CDM project activity takes place in the Tropical Rainforest area (GPG LULUCF 2006, IPCC).
More precisely there are two microclimates in the proposed activities region:3
- The ecoregion of “El bosque tropical amazonico o selva baja”, below 800 m above sea level: Average month temperature between 24 and 26°C, quite regular in the year, minimum temperature of 18-20°C, maximum temperature of 33-36°C. Annual precipitation is more than 1800mm.
- The ecoregion of the “Selva alta en las vertientes orientales, bosques de lluvias de montaña”, between 600m above sea level and 1400 m above sea level: Average annual temperature of 22°C Annual precipitation is more than 2000 mm
The year is divided in two seasons: the summer or dry season (from June to September) and the winter or rainy season (from October to May). However, the dry season is not so dry, and there’s no severe drought in the region.
3 A. BRACK EGG, C. MENDIOLA VARGAS. “Ecologia del Peru” pp 196, 202, 220. PNUD. 2004 v3.0 25 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: VCS Version 3
Figure 8: Climate Diagram in Juanjui (1998-2007). (RAJAUD, 2008)4
Hydrology :
Numerous highly torrential streams flow down from the mountain, carrying products of erosion (sediments), flowing into the tributaries of the Huallaga River: the Huayabamba River, the Saposoa River and the Biabo River.
Figure 9: Hydrology Map.
4 RAJAUD A, 2008. Analyse-diagnostic d’une petite région agricole située dans l’aire d’influence de la coopérative cacaoyère Acopagro, région de San Martín, Pérou - Mémoire de DAA Développement Agricole AgroParisTech.
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Because of the tropical climate, there’s no need for irrigation. Some areas of the project are subject to flooding. The following map describes the flooding risk. - Most of the parcels are located in low flooding risk area. - The parcels located in high and very high flooding risk area will be planted with flood resistant species (Capironas)
Figure 10: Flooding Risk in San Martin (2009).
Soils:
There are 5 soil types, and 25 different soil series in the proposed project activity area, according to the “Zonificacion Ecologica Economica 2004” made by the regional government of San Martin, following the US Soil Taxonomy (1990).
Table 2: Soils types and soil series in the area of the proposed project activities. Source: Regional Government of San Martin.
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Soils pH CEC (me/100g) OM (%) fertility Entisoil Fluvents Ustifluvents Mollic Ustifluvents Huallaga II 7,5-8,0 15-25 / Correct Union Pajarillo 7,0-8,0 low / low Ribera II 7,7-8,3 5–10 / Correct-low Udifluvents Typic Udifluvents Huallaga I basic correct / High-correct Ribera I basic low low low Picota 7,0-7,9 15-30 / High-correct Orthents Usthorthents Lithic Ustorthents Nipon II 5,0-6,5 / / Correct-low Calera II 7,0-8,0 / / / Udorthents Lithic UdorthentsNipon I Calera I 6,6-7,3 / 8,48 / Inceptisol Aquepts epiaquepts typic Epiaquepts Aguajal 5,6-6,0 / 2–4 / typic Endoaquepts Renacal 5,5-6,5 40-80 high low Udepts dystrudepts typic dystrudepts Pasarraya 5,3-4,4 7-22 / Correct-low Moparo I acid low low Correct-low Nuevo tambo 4,5-5,5 10-15 correct low gravilla 4,5-5,5 10-30 correct low Eutridepts Typic Eutridepts Coparo I basic low / High Usteps dystrustepts Vertic dystrustepts Moparo II 7,0-8,0 30-40 / Correct-low Coparo II 7,0-8,2 30-45 / Correct-low Mollisol ustolls haplustolls vertic haplustolls Pampas 7,0-8,0 15-30 / High-correct typic haplustolls Coluvio 6,9-8,4 10-20 / Correct-low Ultisol - hapluduets typic hapluduets bellavista palido acid / low Correct-low bellavista rojo acid correct low low vertisol usterts haplusterts typic haplusterts pastizal 7,1-8,2 20-35 / Correct uderts pelluderts typic pelluderts mundial 7,8-8,2 high high low
Figure 11: Soils types in the area of the proposed project activities. Source: Regional Government of San Martin.
Ecosystems
The original ecosystem was the tropical rainforest. This Amazon Andean foothill forest is characterised by the following species: Aspidosperma rigidum, Astorcaryum murumur, Attalea phalerata, Brosimum acutfolium, B. lactescens, Cariniana estrellensis, Cedrela odorata, Celtis schippi, Cetrolobium ochtryxylum, Clarisia biflora, C.racemosa, Coussapoa ovalifoloa. C. villosa, Erythrina poeppigiana, Guarea macrophylla, Iriartea detoidea, Leonia glycicarpa, Porcelia steinbachii, P. ponderosa, Poulsenia armata, Pourouma cecropiifolia, Protium opacum, Pseudolmedia laevis, P. macrophylla, Ruizodendron
v3.0 28 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: VCS Version 3 ovale, Sloanea guianensis, Socratea exorhiza, Spaattosperma leucanthum, Swietenia macrophylla, Tabebuia serratifolia, Tapura acreana, Terminalia amazonica, T. oblonga, Trichilia pleeana, Thrihis caucana. (Navarra, 20025).
During decades, the migratory agriculture and the growing population have been invading and deforesting the area, to grow traditionally corn & rice or to breed after a slash and burn off step.
In the 1980’s appeared the coca and the majority of the farmers turned themselves into coca producers. It is estimated that 5.5 million ha were deforested in favor of coca growing in Peru. The initiative of US AID and their programs to promote the substitution of coca by cocoa and the sharp decrease of the coca price made the situation safer in the 1990’s. However the coca plantations, highly susceptible to disease and pests and highly demanding in chemicals and nutrients, left traces in the landscape: degraded areas with acid, poor, unproductive soils, which were abandoned by the farmers (locally called “purmas”).6
According to the Regional Government of San Martin, about 26% of the Region San Martin was deforested in 20047, and the annual deforestation rate is about 1.17%, which represents 57 221 hectares per year (IIAP 2003).
Land use in the project area
Three types of biomass at the start of the project: - Cocoa fields partially planted with natives trees or planted as monoculture (64%) - Other crops (3%) - Degraded area due to traditional agricultural practices and former coca plantations (33%): Some of them are covered by various species of grasses, indicators of different levels of degradation (e.g. Ymoerata sp, Pteridium sp)
Endangered species near the proposed activity area (IUCN Red List in the Rio River National Park)8
- Aburria aburri (pava aburria, pava negra, guayón o gualí) Status: Near Threatened, Pop. trend: decreasing - Ameerega bassleri (Rana agradable venenosa) Status: Near Threatened, Pop. trend: decreasing - Anoura cultrata (Murciélago longirostro negruzco) Status: Near Threatened, Pop. trend: decreasing - Ara macao (guacamaya roja, bandera o lapa roja) Status: Vulnerable, Pop. trend: decreasing - Ara militaris (guacamayo verde)
5 Navarro, 2002, Geografía Ecológica de Bolivia. Vegetación y Ambientes Acuáticos. Centro de Ecología Simón I. Patiño-Departament de Difusión. Cochabamba. 719 6 D. YANGGEN, 1999. « DEFORESTACIÓN EN LA SELVA PERUANA: UN ANÁLISIS DEL IMPACTO DE LOS DIVERSOS PRODUCTOS AGROPECUARIOS Y TECNOLOGÍAS DE PRODUCCIÓN ”. Seminario Permanente de Investigación Agraria VIII. 6 MEZA A., SABOGAL C., DE JONG W., 2006. “Rehabilitación de áreas degradadas en la Amazonia peruana. Revisión de experiencias y lecciones aprendidas.” CIFOR, 2006. 6 C. LARREA, “Informe de practicas Instituto de Cultivos Tropicales”. 2005.
6 RUIZ SANTILLAN R. “El cacao: impulsor del desarrollo integral en la Amazonía Peruana”. CADES. 7 F. REATEGUI REATEGUI, P. MARTINEZ DAVILA.Gobierno Regional de la Region San Martin. “Zonificacion Ecologica Economica de le Region San Martin.” Informe Tematico Forestal. Dec 2004. 8 www.iucnredlist.org v3.0 29 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: VCS Version 3
Status: Vulnerable, Pop. trend: decreasing - Ateles belzebuth (maquisapa de montaña) Status: Endangered, Pop. trend: decreasing - Ateles chamek (Maquisapa, mono araña) Status: Endangered, Pop. trend: decreasing - Atelocynus microtis (zorro de oreja corta) Status: Near Threatened, Pop. trend: decreasing - Atelopus pulcher Status: Critically Endangered, Pop. trend: decreasing - Callicebus oenanthe (Tocón) Status: Endangered, Pop. trend: decreasing - Callimico goeldii (tamarino de Goeldi, calimico o mico de Goeldi) Status: Vulnerable, Pop. trend: decreasing - Conothraupis speculigera (Tangara Negriblanca o tangara negro y blanco) Status: Near Threatened, Pop. trend: decreasing - Contopus cooperi (pibí boreal) Status: Near Threatened, Pop. trend: decreasing - Dasypus pilosus (armadillo peludo) Status: Vulnerable, Pop. trend: decreasing - Dendroica cerulea (reinita cerúlea) Status: Vulnerable, Pop. trend: decreasing - Dinomys branickii (pacarana o guagua con rabo) Status: Vulnerable, Pop. trend: decreasing - Hippocamelus antisensis ( Taruca) - Hyloxalus azureiventris (Rana Venenosa) Status: Endangered, Pop. trend: decreasing - Lagothrix flavicauda ( Mono choro de cola amarilla) - Leopardus wiedii (El gato tigre, tigrillo o margay) Status: Near Threatened, Pop. trend: decreasing - Luteolejeunea herzogii Status: Endangered, Pop. trend: unknown - Melanerpes chrysogenys (lojo de mijillas doradas) - Morphnus guianensis (águila crestada o águila moñuda) Status: Near Threatened, Pop. trend: decreasing - Myrmecophaga tridactyla (oso hormiguero gigante o jurumí) Status: Near Threatened, Pop. trend: decreasing - Panthera onca (yaguar, yaguareté, jaguar o otorongo) Status: Near Threatened, Pop. trend: decreasing - Phaethornis koepckeae (ermitaño de Koepcke) Status: Near Threatened, Pop. trend: decreasing - Pipreola chlorolepidota (frutero pigmeo) Status: Near Threatened, Pop. trend: decreasing - Plagiochila wolframii (familia de las Plagiochilaceae) Status: Critically Endangered, Pop. trend: unknown - Platyrrhinus ismaeli Status: Vulnerable, Pop. trend: decreasing - Primolius couloni (Maracaná de cabeza azul o Maracaná de Coulon) Status: Endangered, Pop. trend: decreasing - Priodontes maximus (armadillo gigante, tatú o tatú carreta) Status: Vulnerable, Pop. trend: decreasing - Pterodroma leucoptera (pampero de Gould) Status: Vulnerable, Pop. trend: decreasing - Rupicola peruviana (gallo de las rocas o tunqui) - Rhipidomys modicus (Rhipidomys peruano) Status: Near Threatened, Pop. trend: decreasing
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- Speothos venaticus (perro venadero, zorro vinagre, zorro pitoco, yagua, ivigui, cinogalo, perro de agua, perro de monte o perro selvático) Status: Near Threatened, Pop. trend: unknown - Stictomys tackzanowskii ( Picuro de montaña) - Tapirus terrestris (tapir o sachavaca) Status: Vulnerable, Pop. trend: decreasing - Tayassu pecari (pecarí barbiblanco, huangana, cafuche, chacure o pecarí labiado) Status: Near Threatened, Pop. trend: decreasing - Tremarctos ornatus (oso de anteojos) Status: Vulnerable, Pop. trend: decreasing - Vampyressa melissa (murciélago orejiamarillo de los Andes) Status: Vulnerable, Pop. trend: stable - Vampyrum spectrum (vampiro espectro) Status: Near Threatened, Pop. trend: decreasing - Virola surinamensis (Cumala Blanca) (familia de las Myristicaceae) Status: Endangered
1.13.4.2 Socio-Economic impact assessment
Socio-economic impacts of the project have been assessed both with the ENCOFOR “social tool” and with the Alter Eco Audit tools which have been applied during the project design to ensure integrated benefit for climate, communities, and biodiversity. According to these tools and analyses, the proposed activities have no significant negative social impacts
The project will involve around 2,000 farmers, all volunteer. In order to be successful, project activities were designed to respond to the local challenges and development perspectives of these farmers.
Participative approach and decision-making process
To maximize the socio- economic benefit and minimize the risks of conflicts, the reforestation project was designed using a participatory approach. Interviews of farmers’ households, consulting, and training in small groups were undertaken in order to understand the local farmers and communities’ preferences, wishes and concerns. The proposed A/R project activity was designed to respond to their desires for livelihood development.
The Acopagro farmers are fully part of the project activity such as site preparation, planting, weeding, thinning, harvesting. They’re also the first beneficiaries of the project during the crediting period.
Each farmer may give his opinion on the project and its progress, at one of the three annual meeting, through his representative or directly to the cooperative. All recommendations, advice or criticisms are taken into account.
All decisions which don’t fall into daily operations are voted by the Assembly of the Farmers’ Representatives.
Socio-economic benefits
(1) Income generation: - Additional income from sales of timber will vary from around 450 USD (actualisation rate of 11%) and 10,500 USD per ha, depending if the farmer chooses partial or full reforestation. These are
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very conservative estimations9. These incomes could be used as retirement pension, education of children or/and social insurance. - Farmers are paid Sol/. 1,00 for each tree planted for planting, cleaning and maintenance during the first three years - Indirect increase of incomes will occur through the positive impact of agroforestry systems on cocoa production yields (soil improvement, shading of cocoa trees, etc.)
(2) Employment: The proposed A/R project activity will create between 37 and 147 persons-day work of temporary employment opportunities from planting, weeding and tending, thinning, harvesting, etc. Most employment opportunities will be taken by the local farmers/communities involved in the proposed A/R project activity and beyond (whose lands do not fall within the project boundary).
(3) Local economical development: as the project will produce additional incomes, it will trigger a local economic development, most of all in the local chain of wood and timber process.
(4) Strengthening social cohesion: As indicated earlier, individual farmer households/communities are too weak to successfully manage the chain from investment, production, to market, especially for timber and non-wood forest products which are longer-term activities than food production. In addition, the lack of organizational instruments also prevents them from overcoming technological barriers. Overall, the proposed A/R CDM project activity will entail close interaction between individuals, communities, companies and government, with intensified communication among them and supporting networks for social and productive services.
(5) Technical training and demonstration: Interview with local communities indicated that local farmers/communities are usually short of access to quality seed sources, and lack skills to produce their own high quality seedlings. Additionally, they also lack technical know-how to successfully plant trees, to prevent plantations from pest and diseases, and more generally speaking to manage plantations. As this is a key issue both for the farmers independence and for the success of the project, farmers will receive both theoretical and practical trainings.
Mitigation of potential negative impacts:
The project has the objective to involve a maximum of families. However, some farmers will be excluded of the A/R project as their land is not eligible according to the eligibility criteria established for A/R projects and VCS Standards. In particular, the landowners whose terrains have been deforested after 2000 will be excluded. Although these farmers are not included in the scope of the A/R project as defined by the VCS Standards, it could be considered as a negative impact. To avoid this situation, the Pure Project will actively look for alternate financing, like the sale of tree certificates without reference to carbon, in order to help the farmers non eligible to this A/R program.
Finally a risk of conflict regarding land title exists for 15% of the farmers, who don’t legally own a title or certificate for the land they’re cultivating (consequences of migratory agriculture from decades). They will have to enter a long process of land claim and titling with the government. In addition, some of these lands are in the buffer area (“zona de amortiguamiento”) of the Rio Abiseo national park. It means that land uses are regulated, in order to protect the National Parks Ecologies.
In order to avoid the expropriation risk, negotiations between the National Parks, the Regional Government of San Martin and the Cooperative were launched.
9 According to the forestry plan, available for consultation v3.0 32 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: VCS Version 3
The National Parks (via the government) already authorized the farmers to use these lands for the project purposes. Another solution under discussion is for the Government to give concessions to the farmers for these lands under the condition that the farmers comply with the project rules.
In addition, the project will keep enhancing participative approach, involving the farmers in the development and management of the project, as well as in project implementation and follow up.
During the project lifetime, Alter Eco will periodically monitor benefits and positive/negative impacts of the project through FTA200 and other Alter Eco audit tools monitoring.
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2 APPLICATION OF METHODOLOGY
2.1 Title and Reference of Methodology
AR-AMS0001/ Version 06 “Simplified baseline and monitoring methodologies for small-scale afforestation and reforestation project activities under the clean development mechanism implemented on grasslands or croplands.”
2.2 Applicability of Methodology
The choice of the methodology is justified because:
(a) The proposed activity is “grasslands to forested lands” and “cropland to forest land”;
The proposed project activities are implemented on croplands (64% cocoa, 3% other crops), or fallows and degraded lands (“purmas” 33%)
Project activities will lead to the establishment of a forest according to area, height and crown cover thresholds reported to the EB by the host Party: the combination of the density of trees and their theoretical heights in the three plantation models will lead to the establishment of a forest according to the Peruvian definition
(b) Project activities are implemented on lands where < 10% of the total surface project area is disturbed as result of soil preparation for planting;
Land preparation only consists of digging a 30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm hole for each tree. Maximum tree density is achieved in the plantation model 3 “pure forestal” with a 3x3m spacing grid. This plantation model will be implemented on 36% of total project area.
Furthermore, the existing trees will not be removed for soil preparation before planting.
Therefore, less than 10% of the total surface project is disturbed as result of soil preparation for planting.
(c) The displacement of households or activities due to the implementation of the project activity is less than 50%
As explained in A.5.6, the project will not foster any displacement of households and will not foster displacement of farming activities for more than 9 % of the project area in the worst case. On the contrary it will overall even lower the risks of displacement of activities, increasing the value and quality of current farmers’ lands.
The stratification of the baseline area is the following:
Reforestation Stratum (i) Initial Land-use model SB1 Grassland Model 1 & 3 SB2 Annual crops Model 1 & 3 SB3 Perennial crops (cocoa) Model 1 SB4 Perennial crops (cocoa) Model 3
Stratae SB1 and SB3 :
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There is no risk of displacement of pre-project activities in stratae SB1 (abandoned, unused land) and SB3 (agroforestry systems, trees impact only positively the cocoa plantations). The better land-use practices implemented will, on one hand help increase existing crop production yields, and on the other hand give back value to unproductive degraded land. Sustainable crop and timber production will generate income in the short, mid, and long term, thus lowering the risk of farmers move to other places.
Strata SB4: In strata SB4 (perennial crops), farmers usually decide to plant timber trees in model 3 because they do not want to cultivate their permanent crops anymore. Most often it is because they have too much area of cocoa and cannot maintain and harvest all of it; in that case there is no risk of displacement of cocoa plantations. In other cases, it is because the cocoa is not adapted to the area or in bad shape, and not productive enough for the farmer to keep cultivating it. In that case, there could be a risk of displacement of pre- project activity, which could be considered as leakage only if the farmer deforests another area to replant cocoa (but most likely he would put it in a purma/degraded land)
Strata SB2: In strata SB2, farmers usually cultivate annual crops by default in unproductive area in a periodic system. Land deforested before 2000 was used in a slash and burn system, where rice first, then maize were grown, before it was left as a fallow because of the soil degradation. In a first fallow it takes normally 4 years after the land can be used for agriculture again. After a second cultivation period, it takes at least 7 year before it can be used again for cropping, and after that it takes at least 10-12 years before land can be recovered. On top of that, production yields keep going down. Being conservative, a cycle of more than 10 – 12 years of fallow followed by one year of annual crops can be considered, on those areas deforested before 2000. Annual crops cultivation is for them more a way of using as much as possible low productive land that was degraded by the cultivation of coca in the past. The crops cultivated are most often not necessary for the farmer’s subsistence. Therefore it is not very likely that there would be displacement of this activity due to the project, and if there was, it would mostly be to other degraded areas / purmas.
Considering this, leakage is estimated to be low.
However, being the most conservative, in the worst and unlikely case where all activities of strata SB2 and strata SB4 would all be displaced to forested area, it would concern 9% of the project area (3% for strata SB2, 6% for strata SB4), i.e. much less than the 50% threshold of the eligibility criteria set in the AR-AMS0001/version 06.
(d) The displacement of grazing animals is less than 50% of the average grazing capacity of the project area
Animal grazing is not a frequent activity in the project area. Less than 5% of the producers have cattle.
(e) The proposed activity is not a de-bundled component of a larger project activity.
See paragraph 1.12.3
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2.3 Project Boundary
As specified in the AR-AMS0001/ Version 06 methodology :
- Carbon pools to be considered by these methodologies are above- and below-ground tree and woody perennials biomass and below-ground biomass of grasslands (i.e. living biomass).
- Project emissions are considered insignificant and therefore neglected
Carbon pools Included? Justification/Explanation
Above ground biomass Yes -According to AR-AMS0001/version 06, Section I: Below ground biomass Yes “Carbon pools to be considered by these methodologies are above- and below-ground tree and woody perennials Dead wood No biomass and below-ground biomass of grasslands (i.e. Litter No living biomass)”
Soil No
Emission sources Gas Included? Justification/Explanation
CO2 No
- According to AR-AMS0001/version 06, Section I:
“Project emissions are considered insignificant and CH4 No therefore neglected”
All sources N2O No - Consistent with VCS AFOLU Requirements 4.3.3 : for ARR projects, emissions from fossil fuel consumptions, N- fertilizer application, N-fixing plants decomposition, Other No Baselineand Project burning of herbeaous, collection of dead wood for fencing shall not be included.
2.4 Baseline Scenario
2.4.1 Baseline stratification
Stratification of the project activity for the purposes of estimating the baseline net GHG removals by sinks has been performed according to AR-AMS0001/version06 with strata in which changes in living biomass of cropland and grassland does not exceed 10%.
Further stratification is done as follow:
The selected areas in this project have been stratified according to land-use types based on onsite evaluations.
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On top of that, the area of perennial crops has been further divided in two sub-stratae, to take into account that some of the parcels of perennial crops will be planted in model 3 and perennial crops will disappear.
The stratification of the baseline area is the following:
Reforestation Stratum Initial Land-use model SB1 Grassland Model 1 & 3 33% SB2 Annual crops Model 1 & 3 3% SB3 Perennial crops (cocoa) Model 1 58% SB4 Perennial crops (cocoa) Model 3 6%
- SB1 : Abandoned degraded area (33%), locally called “purmas”.
There are two degradation levels in these areas: moderate and severe, according to the A/R Methodological tool “Tool for the identification of degraded or degrading lands for consideration in implementing CDM A/R Project activities Version 01” and CIFOR, 2006. . The moderately degraded areas present a medium height of vegetation (crown cover around 20- 25%, around 4 to 5meters high), with decreasing yields and soil fertility. . The severely degraded areas present a low height of vegetation (crown cover about 5%, 1 to 4 m high). The indicator is the presence of invasive vegetation like “shapumba” (Pteridium), “caschaucsha” (Imperata) or “pasto”. These unproductive areas are abandoned by the farmers.
Figure 12: “Purma” of the farmer Aquiles Pinedo Ruiz (377) (village: la Victoria).
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- SB3 and SB4 : Cocoa plantations
The concerned cocoa fields are in installation (that is to say less than two years old) or already in production. The tree height is from 1 to 3m high and the crown cover between 0 and 30%.
Figure 13: Cocoa field in installation combinated with cassava and banana - Potenciano Tuanama Caballero in Ledoy (65)
- SB2 : Annual crops The annual crops are typically corn, rice or other annual crops. Because of past intensive use, soils fertility is low. After harvest, the land will typically remain as fallow for several years.
Figure 14 : Rice field of a farmer in Juan Jui
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2.4.2 Baseline scenario
In line with the simplified methodology (AR-AMS-0001 Section II.5), baseline scenario is considered to be the land-use prior to the implementation of the project activity: that is to say degraded land, annual crops, and permanent crops (cocoa).
Purmas and annual crops: The abandoned degraded areas without the project are supposed to be abandoned waiting for natural regeneration and then be slashed and burnt. It is evidenced that these grasslands are degrading and no significant changes in the carbon stocks, and the below-ground biomass of grasslands, are expected to occur in the absence of the project activity, even for areas with some scattered trees. Therefore in line with AR-AMS0001 – Section II.6, changes in carbon stocks are assumed to be zero.
The severely degraded area is supposed to remain abandoned as they are unproductive soils. Natural regeneration will not occur due to strong deterioration of the soils (chemicals due to coca production), or when the soils could regenerate, area would be reused for annual crops cultivation in the future. Traditional cultivation pattern and historic land use is to periodically slash and burn these areas (typically 2-3 years of corn cultivation, then 5-10 years left as fallow for regeneration), thus preventing any growth of carbon stocks on these parcels above the average carbon stock of grasslands.
Permanent crops (cocoa): The cocoa tree plantations are supposed to remain cocoa tree plantations as it’s a perennial crop.
No significant positive changes in the carbon stocks within the project boundary would occur considering that reforestation is facing the barriers outlined in B.7.
As a result, in the absence of the reforestation project changes in carbon stocks in the living biomass of woody perennials and the below-ground biomass of grasslands are expected not to exceed 10% of ex- ante actual net GHG removals from sinks.
2.5 Additionality
The demonstration and assessment of additionality is done hereafter using the Approved VCS tool VT0001 “Tool for the Demonstration and Assessment of Additionality in VCS Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) Project Activities” (Version 01)
Step 1. Identification of alternative land use scenarios to the proposed VCS AFOLU project activity
Sub-step 1a. Credible alternative land-use scenarios
The project area is constituted by land parcels owned by small-scale cocoa farmers. In this project area, there are currently 3 types of land: - Cocoa fields (64%) - Degraded lands (“purmas”) (33%) - Annual crops (3%)
In the absence of the project, there could be several credible land-use scenarios: a/ Continuation of pre-project activities: cocoa fields (64%), degraded lands (33%), annual crops (3%) b/ Transformation of some annual crops into cocoa fields c/ Transformation of degraded lands into cocoa fields v3.0 39 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: VCS Version 3 d/ Use of degrade lands for annual crops
Transformation of cocoa fields into another land-use or crop type is not a credible alternative as cocoa is currently the only source of revenues for farmers in the short term, and the most profitable crop for small scale farmers in this region.
In the last 10 years, there has been no other land-uses within the project area than the ones described above (cocoa, abandoned land, annual crops).
Sub-step 1b/ Consistency with laws and regulations
The 3 scenarios identified are obviously compliant with all mandatory applicable legal and regulatory requirements. They are subsistence farming activities for the local farmers approved by the government. Cocoa farming was even promoted by the government and the international aid as a substitution to coca cultivation in the 1980’s.
Sub-step 1c/ Selection of the baseline scenario
According to the AR-AMS0001 methodology (version 06) (II.5), “the most likely baseline scenario of the small-scale A/R CDM project activity is considered to be the land-use prior to the implementation of the project activity, either grasslands or croplands”
This is consistent with the credible alternatives:
- Option c/ is not likely to occur as the degraded lands are abandoned because of loss of fertility due to repeated use for annual crops. Cocoa trees would not grow easily in such degraded soils.
- Option d/ might occur but on a non frequent basis because of loss of fertility of the soils. Purmas are actually most of the time fallow land, and farmers have to wait from 5 to 20 years to be able to cultivate them again, for one year, before they turn it back into fallow again. Over the long term, they won’t be turned into permanent crops with permanent significant carbon stock.
- Option b/, for the same reason, is unlikely to occur as lands currently used for annual crops have most of the time been used for annual crop farming for some time on a fallow/crop scheme which degrade soil fertility. It is unlikely that the soil would be fertile enough for cocoa.
Note that in any case, if we assumed the worst scenario of 100% of the degraded areas to be converted into cocoa fields, and considering the average carbon stock per ha in cocoa fields (4235 t CO2eq/ha), this would mean a carbon stock increase of 42 000 t CO2eq, so less than 10% of the ex ante actual net GHG removals by sinks (545 000 t CO2eq). According to the AR-AMS0001 methodology (version 06) (II.6), the changes in carbon stocks shall then be assumed to be zero in the absence of the project activity.
Step 3. Barrier analysis
Sub-step 3a. Identification of barriers
- Barriers due to local traditions and barriers due to land-use practices
There is no tradition in Peru to invest in plantation forestry even if the investment on itself is profitable. There is almost no reforestation activity in the San Martin Region.
Interviews with stakeholders (among them Reforesta Peru and Fondebosque) and land use surveys combined with social surveys (Larrea , Impact Study, ICT, 2005), show that similar lands in the vicinity are
v3.0 40 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: VCS Version 3 not being converted on a significant scale to either commercial plantations, agroforestry or silvipastoral systems.
There have only been 2 programs of reforestation in the San Martin region in the past. They have had a very limited impact and no more budget is allocated for such activities by the organizations that developed it.
-In 2006, the PDA (Alternative Development Program) funded the production of 80 000 seedlings (from Fondebosque) distributed to Acopagro members. Trees grew well (espcially Cedro Rosado and Native Cedar) and can be seen along some parcels (most of these trees were planted around cocoa plantations. There hasn't been any more funding, training, monitoring or seedling given since then by the PDA, which now stops its activities in the Region San Martin (or at least the funding of projects since coca has been eradicated and sustainable activities like cocoa developed successfully).
-In 2010, the Regional Government of the San Martin Province announced a plan to help small-scale farmers to plant 1 million trees. This program was giving mainly seeds to farmers and some seedlings but in very limited quantities and of poor quality (according to farmers intervies and comments), seeds had a poor germination %, and no training was given, nor any monitoring or follow-up of the planting on site, so it is very hard to get a full picture of the impact. According to local farmers who participated, the impact was very limited due to the lack of training and the poor genetical material given (both seeds and seedlings were defficient). After discussing with the Regional Government in 2011 (meeting with Governor), they declared not to have any plan to renew this operation, but were willing to give political support to the Alto Huayabamba reforestation project (as well as the other Projects developed by Pur Projet via the Consortium San Martin Verde). This operation form the Regional Government was perceived more as a communication operation than a long term commitment to participate to the restoration and reforestation of the San Martin Region. The Governor and his team is very much involved though in sustainable related topics for his Region and is supporting the activities developed by the Consortium (among which this reforestation project).
There is no other fund existing or operating in Peru to develop forestry projects. Ressources are very limited on the State side. Fondebosque was a State owned seedling company but it went bankrupt because of lack of funding from the central government. This shows the state of the local context in terms of lack of funding for reforestation activities. Currently most of the policy of the Peruvian government is more to give its forest for oil exploration or intensive agriculture development than to invest in reforestation programs of any kind.
Fondebosque (first seedling company) went bankrupt because of lack of market and Reforesta (current seedling company) works at 90 – 95 % for Pur Projet, the rest is very small orders of seedlings from individuals. There is no other nurseries in San Martin Region of this scale, producing seedlings with certified seeds and having large scale capacity. Throughout Peru, there may be 5 to 10 nurseries like this one (of which 4 others linked with Reforesta but of much smaller scale than the nursery we use in Tarapoto).
Various analysis and studies were done based on interviews with farmers in 2005, 2007. 2008 and 2010, a synthesis of which is made by Neisser Bartra in his Baseline and Impact Study. It was concluded that there is a set of factors influencing land use and farming systems in the area. It is very likely that the process of extension of the agricultural frontier will continue. Farmers have a projection towards the extension of the agricultural frontier and not towards reforestation, although they recognize the environmental problems caused by deforestation and the benefits which could be obtained from forestry. They do not have access to information, planting material and training where they are located and forestry activities are not part of the culture yet. There are as well market access and regulatory issues for small-scale farmers to enter the forestry market, like the registration of the plantation with local authorities (INRENA) which is a strong barrier, especially for farmers having limited land title deeds or no title deeds. The project helps these farmers overcome all these barriers (financial, technical, regulatory and of market access).
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Other land uses types respond better to the direct socio-economic needs of the farmer families than tree planting activities, since the livelihood analysis showed a list of important requirements which should be met at least partly by alternative land uses:
For farmer families the following characteristics and requirements for land use are considered important: 1. Income within a relatively short period 2. Possibility to have direct access to capital in case of emergencies. 3. Investments should generate an increase value of their land. 4. Markets for products should be visible; farmers are more willing to invest if clear markets exist for their products. 5. Access to markets should be relatively easy, preferable access should be possible on an individual basis, without intervention of many intermediary stakeholders (middleman, community or producers organizations, etc.). 6. Handling of products should be relatively easy. 7. Constant and secure markets are preferred over insecurity in markets. 8. Labour demand, and peaks in labour demand should be well related to labour supply, 9. Relatively simple land use methods are preferred above more complex land use methods. 10. Level of investment. 11. Cost-benefits.
Without project intervention, using specific strategies to solve the social and economic needs mentioned above it is not very likely that land holders will implement plantations by themselves and do the continued management over the years, due to the following: - Agroforestry activities can not compete in terms of points 5,6,7,8,9,10 compared with traditional land use systems. - Commercial forestry plantations cannot compete in terms of points 1,2,5,8,9,10 compared with traditional land use systems.
- Investment barriers:
There is no tradition within companies for long term investments, especially when repayment periods are long.
There is a high risk of shortage of cash flow during different stages of the project since Peruvian government and also the wood companies, as potential investors, not only have a lack of funds for the investment phase but basically are lacking a continued cash flow capacity, or there is simply no tradition to anticipate future expenses. This makes it unlikely that the needed investments during the whole period will be covered and thus that the management of the plantation will be successful. Examples show that even in those cases where the establishment phase was financed by ODA projects, the management of plantations failed in later years due to financing and capacity deficits, leading to loss of plantations. The proposed project will cover the financing need during the entire project period, guaranteeing the appropriate implementation and long-term management of the plantations.
Sub-step 3b. Barriers would not prevent the implementation of the alternative land-use scenarions
The alternative scenarios (a, b, c, d) identified in step 1a. are by definition traditional land-use practices (best use of one’s own land between cocoa, annual crops and fallows). Barriers due to local traditions identified in 3a. are therefore not an obstacle for these alternative scenarios.
The alternative scenarios don’t require external investment as traditionally farmers have managed their land and farming processes with their own funds. Seedlings for annual crops and cocoa are affordable or seeds can be found in their own fields. And farming of annual crops or cocoa do not require the same expensive management activities in the long-term as the project activities would (tree monitoring, v3.0 42 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: VCS Version 3 equipment, tree measuring, forestry trainings, etc.). Investment barriers identified in 3a are therefore not an obstacle to the alternative scenarios.
Step 4. Common practice analysis
There have only been 2 programs of reforestation in the San Martin region in the past. They have had a very limited impact and no more budget is allocated for such activities by the organizations that developed it.
-In 2006, the PDA (Alternative Development Program) funded the production of 80 000 seedlings (from Fondebosque) distributed to Acopagro members. Trees grew well (espcially Cedro Rosado and Native Cedar) and can be seen along some parcels (most of these trees were planted around cocoa plantations. There hasn't been any more funding, training, monitoring or seedling given since then by the PDA, which now stops its activities in the Region San Martin (or at least the funding of projects since coca has been eradicated and sustainable activities like cocoa developed successfully).
-In 2010, the Regional Government of the San Martin Province announced a plan to help small-scale farmers to plant 1 million trees. This program was giving mainly seeds to farmers and some seedlings but in very limited quantities and of poor quality (according to farmers interviews and comments), seeds had a poor germination %, and no training was given, nor any monitoring of the project on site, so it is very hard to get a full picture of the impact. According to local farmers who participated, the impact was very limited due to the lack of training and the poor genetic material given (both seeds and seedlings were deficient). After discussing with the Regional Government in 2011 (meeting with Governor), they declared not to have any plan to renew this operation, but were willing to give political support to the Alto Huayabamba reforestation project (as well as the other Projects developed by Pur Projet via the Consortium San Martin Verde) This operation form the Regional Government was perceived more as a communication operation than a long term commitment to participate to the restoration and reforestation of the San Martin Region. The Governor and his team is very much involved though in sustainable related topics for his Region and is supporting the activities developed by the Consortium (among which this reforestation project).
There is no other fund existing or operating in Peru to develop forestry projects. Resources are very limited on the State side. Fondebosque was a State owned seedling company but it went bankrupt because of lack of funding from the central government. This shows the state of the local context in terms of lack of funding for reforestation activities. Currently most of the policy of the Peruvian government is more to give its forest for oil exploration or intensive agriculture development than to invest in reforestation programs of any kind. Fondebosque (first seedling company) went bankrupt because of lack of market and Reforesta (current seedling company) works at 90 – 95 % for Pur Projet, the rest is very small orders of seedlings from individuals.
There are no other nurseries in San Martin Region of this scale, producing seedlings with certified seeds and having large scale capacity. Throughout Peru, there may be 5 to 10 nurseries like this one (of which 4 others linked with Reforesta but of much smaller scale than the nursery we use in Tarapoto).
The project helps these farmers overcome all these barriers (financial, technical, regulatory and of market access).
As a result of these steps, the project is proved to be additional .
2.6 Methodology Deviations
There are no methodology deviations.
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3 QUANTIFICATION OF GHG EMISSION REDUCTIONS AND REMOVALS
3.1 Baseline Emissions
Baseline calculations
For baseline calculations, the project area was stratified as described in B.4 into: - SB1 : Abandoned degraded lands (“purmas”) - SB2 : Annual crops - SB3 : Perennial crops (cocoa) planted in model 1 - SB4 : Perennial crops (cocoa) planted in model 3 Stratification was made for each parcel following site visits to each of the parcel
For abandoned degraded lands, values of Mgrass and Rgrass from IPCC good practice guidance for LULUCF Tables 3.4.2 and 3A.1.8 were used.
For perennial cocoa crops, value of M(t) for cultivated lands from IPCC good practice guidance for LULUCF Table 3.3.2 was used. Value for R was taken from specific studies on biomass and carbon sequestration in cocoa plantations in Africa10. Cocoa plantations are very similar to the plantations of the project (climatic zone, cocoa specie, farming conditions, agroforestry model, etc.), therefore the value for R can be reasonably used for the project. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis shows that the value of R for cocoa has very small impact on the overall project calculcations (less than 1%).
For annual crops, carbon stocks are ignored since they are considered transient
Table 8: Biomass and root to shoot ratio values used for baseline calculation
M(t) R Stratum (i) Initial Land-use tdm /ha tdm/tdm SB1 Grassland 6,2 1,58 SB2 Annual crops 0,0 n/a SB3 / SB4 Perennial crops (cocoa) 21,0 0,10
3.2 Project Emissions
3.2.1 Calculation of project GHG removals
A/ Stratification of the project for calculation of project GHG removals
For the ex-ante calculation of the project biomass, the project area is stratified according to the project planting plan, which is divided in plantation type and year of planting:
Plantation models:
10 Biomass management and diversification within cooca agroforests in the humid forest zone of Southern Cameroon, Denis Jean Sonwa v3.0 44 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: VCS Version 3
- Model 1 “Lindero”: Plantations of trees in lines, mostly around the parcel, every 3 metres
- Model 2 “Agroforestal”: Alternate of cocoa and trees fringes, trees planted at 3 x 3 metres, 252 trees / hectare
- Model 3 “Forestal”: Forestry, only trees planted at 3 x 3 metres, 1111 trees / hectare
Fig 15 : Schematics of the three plantation models
Plantation year:
First plantations started in 2008 and will carry-on until 2013
As a result, 18 stratae are defined for ex-ante calculation of project GHG removals
Table 7 : List of stratae for ex-ante calculation of project GHG removals
Plantation Plantation Stratum model year S1 Model 3 2008 S2 Model 3 2009 S3 Model 3 2010 S4 Model 3 2011 S5 Model 3 2012 S6 Model 3 2013 S7 Model 2 2008 S8 Model 2 2009 S9 Model 2 2010 S10 Model 2 2011 S11 Model 2 2012 S12 Model 2 2013 S13 Model 1 2008 S14 Model 1 2009 S15 Model 1 2010 S16 Model 1 2011 S17 Model 1 2012 S18 Model 1 2013
B/ Carbon stock calculation
Carbon stocks will be calculated using the following equations: I P(t) = ∑ (PA(t) i + PB(t) i) * Ai i
v3.0 45 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: VCS Version 3 where: P(t) = carbon stocks within the project boundary at time t achieved by the project activity (t C) PA(t) i = carbon stocks in above-ground biomass at time t of stratum i achieved by the project activity during the monitoring interval (t C/ha) PB(t) i = carbon stocks in below-ground biomass at time t of stratum i achieved by the project activity during the monitoring interval (t C/ha) Ai = project activity area of stratum i (ha) i = stratum i
For above-ground biomass
PA(t) is calculated per stratum i as follows:
PA(t) = E(t)* 0. 5
Where : E(t) = estimate of above-ground biomass at time t achieved by the project activity (t dm/ha) 0.5 = carbon fraction of dry matter (t C/t dm)
For below-ground biomass
PB(t) will be estimated for each stratum i as follows:
PB(t) = E(t) * R * 0. 5 where: R = root to shoot ratio (dimensionless) 0.5 = carbon fraction of dry matter (t C/t dm)
Root-to-shoot ratios for the concerned species are not available. Therefore the conservative default value of 0,42 (secondary tropical and sub tropical forest) of the IPCC good practice guidance for LULUCF, Table 3A.1.8 will be used
C/ Biomass stock calculation
For ex-ante estimation of GHG removals:
Biomass stock per ha E(t) will be calculated for each stratum, based on - the stem volume per ha SVj(t) for a fully stocked area (100%= 1111 trees/ha), for a given tree specie j - the distribution of tree species in each stratum - the stocking density of the area planted (ratio to 100% stocking, 1111 trees/ha based on the numbers of trees planted per ha)
E(t) = SV(t) * BEF1 * D Where: SVj(t) = Stem Volume at time t per ha for tree specie j for a fully stocked area (in m3/ha) D = density of the tree specie (tdm/m3) BEF1 = Biomass Expansion Factor of the tree specie (dimensionless)
In the absence of existing volume tables for the local tree species, the use of mean annual volume increments was used to compute SV(t), as recommended in the CDM-AR-AMS0001-version 6 methodology (applied in this project), as well as in the IPCC GPG for LULUCF (Equation 3.2.5). v3.0 46 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: VCS Version 3
The Project Proponent uses a default value from IPCC for the mean annual volume increment of teak, which is most studied tree species (tables 3.A.1.5, 6, 7).
To take into account known differences in growth speed between the various species planted in the project, the Project Proponent recomputes mean annual volume increments for each specie, based on diameter annual increment data specific to each specie, and the ratio of diameter increments with the teak’s.
For ex-post estimation of GHG removals:
Biomass stock per ha E(t) will be calculated for each stratum, based on
- The field data measurements from sampling plots (Diameter DBH and Tree height H) - Allometric equations included in appendix C of the AR-AMS0001(Version 06) or Annex 4A.2 of the IPCC good practice guidance for LULUCF
3.2.2 Estimation of project emissions
According to AR-AMS0001/version 06, Section I: “Project emissions are considered insignificant and therefore neglected”
Even though, there will be no emissions from the fertilizer use, as there is and will be no use of any fertilizer on any parcel of Acopagro farmers, since all their fields are organic certified or in transition. All use of chemicals and pesticides is strictly forbidden and all producers abide by these rules.
3.3 Leakage
Farming activity-shifting leakage
Three types of current land use before the implementation of the project are registered: - Abandoned degraded area (33%), - Cocoa fields (64%), - Other Crops (3%)
The stratification of the baseline area takes into account the case where areas of perennial crops are planted in model 3 (strata SB4)
Reforestation Stratum (i) Initial Land-use model SB1 Grassland Model 1 & 3 SB2 Annual crops Model 1 & 3 SB3 Perennial crops (cocoa) Model 1 SB4 Perennial crops (cocoa) Model 3
Stratae SB1 and SB3 : There is no risk of displacement of pre-project activities in stratae SB1 (abandoned, unused land) and SB3 (agroforestry systems, trees impact only positively the cocoa plantations). The better land-use practices implemented will, on one hand help increase existing crop production yields, and on the other hand give back value to unproductive degraded land. Sustainable crop and
v3.0 47 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: VCS Version 3 timber production will generate income in the short, mid, and long term, thus lowering the risk of farmers move to other places.
Strata SB4: In strata SB4 (perennial crops), farmers usually decide to plant timber trees in model 3 because they do not want to cultivate their permanent crops anymore. Most often it is because they have too much area of cocoa and cannot maintain and harvest all of it; in that case there is no risk of displacement of cocoa plantations. In other cases, it is because the cocoa is not adapted to the area or in bad shape, and not productive enough for the farmer to keep cultivating it. In that case, there could be a risk of displacement of pre- project activity, which could be considered as leakage only if the farmer deforests another area to replant cocoa (but most likely he would put it in a purma/degraded land)
Strata SB2: In strata SB2, farmers usually cultivate annual crops by default in unproductive area in a periodic system. Land deforested before 2000 was used in a slash and burn system, where rice first, then maize were grown, before it was left as a fallow because of the soil degradation. In a first fallow it takes normally 4 years after the land can be used for agriculture again. After a second cultivation period, it takes at least 7 year before it can be used again for cropping, and after that it takes at least 10-12 years before land can be recovered. On top of that, production yields keep going down. Being conservative, a cycle of more than 10 – 12 years of fallow followed by one year of annual crops can be considered, on those areas deforested before 2000. Annual crops cultivation is for them more a way of using as much as possible low productive land that was degraded by the cultivation of coca in the past. The crops cultivated are most often not necessary for the farmer’s subsistence. Therefore it is not very likely that there would be displacement of this activity due to the project, and if there was, it would mostly be to other degraded areas / purmas.
Considering this, leakage is estimated to be low.
However, being exaggeratedly conservative, in the worst and unlikely case where all activities of strata SB2 and strata SB4 would all be displaced to forested area, it would concern 9% of the project area (3% for strata SB2, 6% for strata SB4).
Therefore, in accordance with AR-AMS0001/version 06, displacement of crop production is considered insignificant and leakage considered as nil.
Fuelwood and fencing wood use
A survey was carried out to determine the quantity and the origin of the used fuelwood. The results show that families use in average 10m3 per year and per family11. Fuelwood comes from deadwood on their land: from cocoa field (57%), and from “purmas” (degraded land) (38%). The proposed activities will not decrease availability of dead wood in their fields. On the contrary, the pruning of trees planted will even provide increased wood quantity for fuelwood consumption. The project activity will therefore not trigger a displacement of fuelwood collection
Dead wood for fencing is not so used in the project area. Most of the farmer use Erythrima sp. to develop living hedges.
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Market Leakage
There is limited demand locally for timber and the local market is small. The project will create additional offer of timber of species already existing on the market (as a result of legal and illegal logging of the primary forests). It will therefore not create additional demand on the market for new products. On the contrary the project will decrease the pressure on forests by providing on the market a source of sustainable harvested timber.
As a result, the overall leakage for the project is considered as nil.
Still, there will be monitoring for leakage, as provided in AR-AMS0001 (Version 06) - Almost no farmers participating to the project raises cattle, therefore leakage from displacement of cattle will not be monitored. - Leakage coming from fuelwood collection and displacement of cropping activities will be monitored.
Data variable Sourc Data Measured Recordin Proportion Archiving Comm e of unit calculated g of data to (electronic ent data or frequenc be / paper) estimated y monitored Source of survey % of Estimated Once 15% electronic / Field fuelwood fuelwoo after paper survey d project is sourcing establishe d but before the first verificatio n Displacement survey ha Estimated Once 30% electronic / Field of preproject after paper survey activities project is (cropping) establishe d but before the first verificatio n
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3.4 Summary of GHG Emission Reductions and Removals
Years Estimated Estimated project Estimated Estimated net baseline emissions or leakage GHG emission emissions or removals (tCO2e) emissions reductions or removals (tCO2e) (tCO2e) removals (tCO2e)
2008 2 278 2 278 0 0 2009 11 631 12 159 0 528 2010 34 060 37 035 0 2 976 2011 61 234 76 342 0 15 108 2012 104 170 145 952 0 41 782 2013 138 833 231 837 0 93 003 2014 138 833 307 160 0 168 327 2015 138 833 381 332 0 242 498 2016 138 833 452 145 0 313 311 2017 138 833 523 469 0 384 636 2018 138 833 587 906 0 449 073 2019 138 833 648 078 0 509 245 2020 138 833 709 337 0 570 504 2021 138 833 767 445 0 628 611 2022 138 833 830 109 0 691 275 2023 138 833 897 804 0 758 970 2024 138 833 964 393 0 825 559 2025 138 833 1 028 654 0 889 820 2026 138 833 1 084 373 0 945 540 2027 138 833 1 127 377 0 988 543 2028 138 833 1 151 409 0 1 012 575 2029 138 833 1 160 283 0 1 021 450 2030 138 833 1 169 221 0 1 030 388 2031 138 833 1 178 044 0 1 039 211 2032 138 833 1 186 735 0 1 047 901 2033 138 833 1 195 249 0 1 056 416 2034 138 833 1 203 548 0 1 064 715 2035 138 833 1 211 588 0 1 072 754 2036 138 833 1 219 335 0 1 080 501 2037 138 833 1 226 870 0 1 088 036 2038 138 833 1 234 103 0 1 095 270 2039 138 833 1 241 087 0 1 102 254 2040 138 833 1 247 954 0 1 109 120 2041 138 833 1 254 567 0 1 115 734 2042 138 833 1 260 978 0 1 122 145 2043 138 833 1 266 909 0 1 128 076 2044 138 833 1 272 640 0 1 133 807 2045 138 833 1 277 997 0 1 139 163 2046 138 833 1 283 261 0 1 144 428 2047 138 833 1 289 070 0 1 150 236 2048 138 833 1 294 606 0 1 155 772 Total 138 833 1 294 606 0 1 155 772
The Long-Term Average Emission Reductions is 998 698 tCO2e, calculated according to the AFOLU Requirements section 5.4.3.1.b. and AFOLU Guidance: Example for Calculating the Long-Term Average Carbon Stock for ARR Projects with Harvesting. The period over which the long-term average is calculated is the project longevity: 80 years.
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4 MONITORING
4.1 Data and Parameters Available at Validation
Data Unit / Parameter: Area planted per strata
Data unit: Hectares Description: Area planted under each model, in each plantation wave Source of data: Field Measurement (GPS) Value applied: See GHG calculation model Justification of choice of data or description Area planted is measured by project team’s of measurement methods and procedures technicians, at first parcel monitoring, 3 months applied: after plantation. For model 1, the distance planted is measured, and area is recalculated using a given width. Any comment: - Recorded once after plantation. - Stored electronically - 100% of project area to be recorded. At time of validation, only 30% of total project area has been planted and recorded.
Data Unit / Parameter: Plantation density per strata
Data unit: Number of trees per hectare Description: Stocking level of the area planted Source of data: Field Measurement (Counting of trees planted and area measured with GPS) Value applied: See GHG calculation model Justification of choice of data or description Number of planted trees is measured by project of measurement methods and procedures team’s technicians, at first parcel monitoring, 3 applied: months after plantation. Any comment: - Recorded once after plantation. - Stored electronically - 100% of project area to be recorded. At time of validation, only 30% has been planted and is known. An average value based on existing data has been applied for ex-ante estimates of future waves.
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For eligibility of parcels
Data Unit / Parameter: Year of first land-use
Data unit: Date Description: Year at which land was used for the first time (deforestation date) Source of data: Field survey Value applied: See plantation database Justification of choice of data or description Farmer’s interview by project team’s technicians, of measurement methods and procedures at parcel registration, after plantation. applied: Any comment: - Recorded once at parcel registration. - Stored electronically - 100% of project area to be recorded. At time of validation, only 30% has been planted and is known.
Data Unit / Parameter: Vegetation cover before plantation (height and cover %)
Data unit: Meters (Height) and % (tree cover) Description: Existing vegetation cover before plantation: height and cover % for trees, bushes, grasses Source of data: Field assessment Value applied: See plantation database Justification of choice of data or description Field assessment by project team’s technicians, of measurement methods and procedures at parcel registration, 3 months after plantation. applied: Any comment: - Recorded once at parcel registration. - Stored electronically - 100% of project area to be recorded. At time of validation, only 30% has been planted and is known.
4.2 Data and Parameters Monitored
Data Unit / Parameter: Diameter at breast height
Data unit: cm Description: Diameter of trees planted at 1,30m height
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Source of data: Field measurements in sample plots Description of measurement methods and Diameter is measured at 1,30m height by procedures to be applied: technicians from the project team, for all trees planted in designated sample plots Frequency of monitoring/recording: Yearly Value applied: N/A (diameter not used for ex-ante estimate) Monitoring equipment: Caliper or diameter tape. QA/QC procedures to be applied: 10% of the measurement will be cross-checked in the field by forest engineers (from the project team and from Reforesta) Calculation method: N/A Any comment:
Data Unit / Parameter: Tree height
Data unit: meters Description: Height of the trees planted Source of data: Field measurements in sample plots Description of measurement methods and Tree height is measured height by technicians procedures to be applied: from the project team, for all trees in designated sample plots. Frequency of monitoring/recording: Yearly Value applied: N/A (diameter not used for ex-ante estimate) Monitoring equipment: Clinometer QA/QC procedures to be applied: 10% of the measurement will be cross-checked in the field by forest engineers (from the project team and from Reforesta) Calculation method: N/A Any comment:
Data Unit / Parameter: Carbon stock
Data unit: T CO2 Description: Stock of carbon in the biomass of the planted trees Source of data: Calculation based on diameter and height measurement in the sampling plots Description of measurement methods and N/A procedures to be applied:
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Frequency of monitoring/recording: Yearly calculation Value applied: N/A Monitoring equipment: N/A QA/QC procedures to be applied: N/A Calculation method: Allometric equations are used to calculate above ground biomass in sampling plots. Root to shoot ratio is used to compute below ground biomass. The total is extrapolated to total project area based on area ratio per strata between sampling plots and total project area Any comment:
4.3 Description of the Monitoring Plan
4.3.1 Monitoring plan
A global chronogram of project activities, including the monitoring plan, is available as a reference in appendix of the PD : Plan cronologico de las actividades - v2.0 – 2510201.xls. This chronogram describes all the monitoring activities and associated timings.
Ex post estimation of the baseline net greenhouse gas removals by sinks
As permitted by decision 6/CMP.1, appendix B, paragraph 6, the baseline will not be monitored. The baseline net GHG removals by sinks will be assumed to be those estimated in section C.1.
Ex post estimation of the actual net greenhouse gas removals by sinks
The project participant will determine any changes in carbon stocks, by measuring and monitoring the project area and the trees that have been planted, and conducting carbon sampling within stratified sample plots. Acopagro Cooperative will be in charge to supervise the monitoring activities.
A chronogram of all project activities including monitoring activities is available for consultation alongside this Project Description Document
Step 1: Monitoring of planting progress and tree survival
All the plantations will be monitored regularly by the team of technicians from Acopagro, in order to monitor the project boundary, the number and species of surviving trees, to assess the good development of the trees, the quality of plantation, weed control, and presence of pests and diseases.
- Two to three months after planting, quality and stock will be checked by Acopagro technicians, in order to determine mortality, and number and species of surviving trees. Farmers will receive a first payment based on the living trees.
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- Mapping of the planted areas will be conducted with a GPS, in order to check consistency with the ex-ante geomapping of the area to be planted. Whenever the delimitations of the area planted differs from the previously mapped area, the new GPS polygon will be recorded for the parcel.
- Another parcel visit will be conducted 6-9 months later to check again mortality and maintenance. Farmers will receive a second payment based on surviving trees.
- Then technicians from Acopagro will conduct periodical site visits. In the three first years all sites will be evaluated at least every year on survival rates, growth and development of the plants, quality of the plantation, weed control, pests and diseases.
- Frequencies of visits will then decrease gradually to reach a frequency of at least one site evaluation every 2 years.
All data recorded during the site visits (GPS mapping, number and species of living trees) will be stored in a database.
Step 2: Stratification
Stratification for ex-post estimation of GHG removals will be based on the stratification for the ex ante estimation of the actual net GHG removals by sinks, as described in B.5.:
Stratification is based on plantation model and year of plantation
Plantation Plantation Stratum model year S1 Model 3 2008 S2 Model 3 2009 S3 Model 3 2010 S4 Model 3 2011 S5 Model 3 2012 S6 Model 3 2013 S7 Model 2 2008 S8 Model 2 2009 S9 Model 2 2010 S10 Model 2 2011 S11 Model 2 2012 S12 Model 2 2013 S13 Model 1 2008 S14 Model 1 2009 S15 Model 1 2010 S16 Model 1 2011 S17 Model 1 2012 S18 Model 1 2013
However, the need for ex post stratification shall be evaluated at each monitoring event and changes in stratification shall be reported to the DOE for verification
Step 3: Establishment of permanent sampling plots
Size and shape of the plots
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In order to select the size of the plots the following criteria are taken into account:
- Density of the plantation Various studies on the size of experimental plots concluded that trials plots of 10 trees give a precision level of +-10% of the mean at a 95% confidence level, with regard to relative growth, height and diameter, considering this plot size is based on a number of 10 trees per plot taking into account the final projection of the plantation. It has to be considered that in mixed plantations the amount of trees has to be multiplied with the amount of species present in the plantation (4 species maximum per parcel). So plot sizes should include 40 trees in the final stage of the plantation.
- Numbers of clearings which are realized in an entire rotation period It is considered that on average 2 to 4 thinning will be realized until the final harvest, for a clearing of 50% of the trees in model 1, and of 75% of the trees in model 2 and 3.
Considering plots with 40 trees in the final harvesting stage, this means plots should contain 80 trees in the initial stage for model 1, and 160 trees in the initial stage for model 2 and 3.
Considering the plantation density per ha, the size of the sampling plots should thus be - 1 ha for model 1 - 0,63 ha for model 2 - 0,14 ha for model 3
Number of plots
In compliance with the methodology (38-iii) estimation of biomass stocks is targeted to a precision level of +-10% of the mean at a 95% confidence level. The number of sampling plots per stratum A/R will be estimated using the A/R Methodological Tool “Calculation of the number of sample plots for measurements within A/R CDM project activities” (Version 02.1.0)
Location of the plots
The permanent sample plots will be randomly chosen, they will be marked on a map and the geographical position (GPS coordinate) of plots will be recorded and archived.
Step 4: Field data measurement
Measurement by Acopagro in sampling plots Every year, a team of technicians from Acopagro will visit the permanent sampling plots in order to measure for all trees in the sampling plots the following data, required for biomass stock calculations: - Trunk diameter at breast height (1,30m height) - Tree height The results of the measurement will be stored in the sampling database and used for biomass calculation using allometric equations.
Additional measurements by the farmers in own planted areas In addition to yearly measurements done by Acopagro technicians in the sampling plots, every farmer will measure once a year in all his parcels the diameter and the height of its trees. To do this, farmers will receive training from Acopagro forestry team and forestry experts from Reforesta. The farmers will be provided with plastic tape measure, plastic cards to identify the trees, and a paper folder to report all measurements.
To ensure the measurements are effectively done once a year, one farmer in each community will be voluntarily designated as being in charge of the measurement process.
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These measurements will be done and reported once a year to Acopagro which will store them in the tree monitoring database.
Step 5: Carbon stock calculation
Carbon stocks will be calculated using the methodology described in 3.2.1
Ex post estimation of project emissions
The methodology states to calculate ex-post project emissions if “the use of fertilizers would result in significant emissions of N2O (>10 per cent of the actual net greenhouse gas removals by sinks)”. As explained above, there is and will be no use of any fertilizer on any parcel of Acopagro farmers, since all their fields are organic certified or in transition. All use of chemicals and pesticides is strictly forbidden and all producers abide by these rules.
Ex post estimation of leakage
As described in 3.3. there will be monitoring for leakage, as provided in AR-AMS0001 (Version 06) - Almost no farmers participating to the project raises cattle, therefore leakage from displacement of cattle will not be monitored. - Leakage coming from fuelwood collection and displacement of cropping activities will be monitored.
Data variable Sourc Data unit Measured Recording Proportion Archiving Comm e of calculated frequency of data to (electronic ent data or be / paper) estimated monitored Source of survey % of Estimated Once after 15% electronic / Field fuelwood fuelwood project is paper survey sourcing established but before the first verification Displacement survey ha Estimated Once after 30% electronic / Field of preproject project is paper survey activities established (cropping) but before the first verification
Surveys will be conducted and completed with farmers in their farm, at third monitoring of plantation.
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4.3.2 Organizational structure for monitoring
The Alto H. project is based on the relationship between the Pure Project (“Pur Projet”), the French coordinator, fund raiser and carbon offset trader of the project, and the Cooperativa Agraria Cacaotera ACOPAGRO, in charge of the implementation of the project.
The cooperative implemented a work structure as follow to implement the project and monitor actual GHG removals by sinks:
Figure 15: Operational and management structures to monitor actual GHG removals by sinks by the proposed small-scale A/R project activity:
The Pure Project will check each year through an internal audit the state of the project (documents, plantations, knowledge, benefits, actual GHG removals by sinks…) and pay the cooperative at the plantation to implement the monitoring.
The Acopagro cooperative, to implement the project and monitor actual GHG removals by sinks, created the Reforestation and Carbon Sequestration Department. This department, as each organ of the cooperative is yearly controlled by the Intern supervision council (4 farmers elected by the Assembly of Farmers’ Representatives) regarding its efficiency and functioning.
The Reforestation and Carbon sequestration Department is managed by a Project Coordinator, in charge of planification, coordination of plantation and monitoring activities, and checking each area’s results between others charges. A forest Engineer is responsible for the technicians’ and farmer’s formation, plantation designs, seedlings distribution; he will check the monitoring results presented by the technicians for quantity, quality and coherence. Field Technicians trained by the Project Coordinator, the v3.0 58 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: VCS Version 3
Forest Engineer, and forestry experts from outside Acopagro (Reforesta Peru), will conduct the registration and monitoring activities in the fields.
To monitor actual GHG removals by sinks of the proposed project activities, there are controls at almost all levels in the cooperative, most of all based on four-eye principle, that is to say that two people always check the quality of the work at each stage (data collection, data entry, data analysis, final results)
4.3.3 Quality control and quality assurance procedures
A quality control and quality assurance (QA/QC) plan describes all procedures and includes instructions related to: a) Collecting reliable field measurements; b) Verifying methods used to collect field data; c) Verifying data entry and analysis techniques; d) Data maintenance and archiving
Data collection
Monitoring will be done by trained project personnel, understanding the importance of accurate data collecting. This technical team will receive trainings about field measuring, both theoretical and practical before every new wave of measurement, and at minimum twice a year. During this participative workshop, each technician will measure the same sample in order to synchronize the way of measuring by each v3.0 59 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: VCS Version 3 technician, and show and compare their abilities for filling in the important indicators of the evaluation and for the introduction of measurements data in database. These frequents trainings assure that all technicians have a similar approach to the gathering of the necessary data. Moreover the responsible staff member for monitoring evaluates the data gathering team to identify errors in field’s techniques, verify measurements processes and correct any identified problems before they carry out measurements.
Verification of data collection
In order to quantify measurements errors, a complementary field evaluation is conducted. Forest Engineers from the INRENA (Institute of Natural Resources), independent and highly experienced in forest inventories, will conduct a forest inventory on 10% of the plot done. Field data of both sources are then compared. Any errors found is re checked, corrected and recorded. The percentage of errors is measured as following:
If measurement error>10%, all analyses will be rerun.
Data analysis
The field data are collected on field sheets. The entry of this data into the data analysis software is checked on accuracy. Possible errors in this process will be minimized by cross checking the entry of both field data and laboratory data and, where necessary, incorporating internal tests into the spreadsheets to ensure that the data are realistic. Communication between all personal involved in measuring and analyzing data will be used to resolve any apparent anomalies before the final analysis of the monitoring data is completed. If there are any problems with the monitoring plot data that cannot be resolved, the plot will not be used anymore in the analysis.
Moreover the coherence between the previous years’ data and the current will be checked.
Besides, another independent person enters data from 10% of the field sheets into the data analysis software. These two data sets can then be compared to check for errors. Any errors detected are corrected in master file.
If measurement error>10%, all data is re entered
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Storing and maintenance information
The storing of information will be realized in projects’ monitoring unit and will be available to authorized personal.
Because of the relatively long term nature forestry activities, data archiving (maintenance and storage) is an important component of a project. Copies of all data analyses and models, the final estimate of carbon sequestered, GIS products and all measuring and monitoring reports will be all stored in a safe place, electronically (Pur Projet ftp server) and physically (CD and paper).
Given the time frame of the project, and the pace of production of updated versions of software and new hardware for storing data, electronic copies of data and reports will be periodically updated or converted to a format that can be assessed by any future software applications.
All data relative to the project will be stored and kept for a period of 20 years after the end of the crediting period. Updates and conversions to adequate formats will be ensured at least during the 5 years after the end of the crediting period.
4.3.4 Adaptative management plan
All the procedures described in the documents are already the results of recurrent corrections and adaptations of precedent procedures. More generally, the project has an adaptative approach, in which the project proponent and the local management team regularly document the lessons learned from previous experience and identify improvements to the project procedures.
After all visits to the project of the Project proponent, and yearly after the plantation waves, a report of progress, lessons learned and suggested corrections is made, discussed, and approved by the Project Proponent and the Management team. Examples of such reports, proceedings, or meeting minutes can be found appended to the PD. These reports lead to the adaptation of project procedures to constantly improve quality of the project.
The description of this adaptative management approach can be found in the document “PGP Global Projecto Alto H v2.0.doc”.
5 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The project was designed first of all to have positive environmental impacts:
Impact on soils Plantation of trees will help soils regeneration, especially in degraded areas, allowing increased yields for farmers’ crops. Trees planted will help maintain the soil and avoid erosion, responsible for washing nutrients off the farming land.
Impact on water cycle and water resources Trees play a critical role in water cycle regulation. Water loss through leaves will increase and regulate rainfalls in a region where periods of drought are more and more frequent. Roots will also help retain water in the soil, which is in particular useful for the cocoa crops farmed in combination with the trees.
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Crown cover will help protect soils and existing flora from the damages of severe rainfalls during the rainy season.
Impact on biodiversity Fauna: Reforestation will help recreate a continuous habitat for animal species, namely endemic and endangered species (42 species on the UICN red list in the San Martin Region) that used to flee from the region. Flora: 10 of the 11 species of trees planted are native species, thus not disturbing existing flora ecosystems. Only Tectona Grandis is an exotic specie, however non invasive, and therefore not impacting the development of other flora species.
Impact on air Tree plantation has no relevant impact over the air quality. Planting trees may act as windbreak to indirectly protect existing flora and fauna from winds.
Impact on carbon sequestration As an A/R project, the project is designed to increase sequestration capacity of CO2, therefore playing a positive role in regulation of climate change.
The Department of Natural Resources of the Regional Government of San Martin, and the NGO “Instituto de Cultivos Tropicales” both approved the positive environmental effects of the project. (Approvals in Appendix)
An environmental impact analysis has also been done thanks to the ENCOFOR environmental impact tool. This analysis shows there’s no significant negative environmental impact
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6 STAKEHOLDER COMMENTS
Brief description of how comments by local stakeholders have been invited and compiled:
Different kinds of stakeholders are concerned by the proposed project activities: - the farmers - their communities - the cooperative (the executive organization) - the regional government
First, Tristan Lecomte introduced the idea of the A/R project in January 2008, during an internal audit for cocoa purchase. As the idea was well received by the farmers, the project has been proposed to the cooperative, both to the general manager and to the Assembly of farmers’ representative. It was approved in April 2008.
After that, the project has been presented in each community through very regular participative meetings. Farmers willing to voluntarily participate to the project were registered in these preliminary meetings.
Then, each interested farmer was individually visited, in order to assess eligibility, to georeferenciate his land, to conduct biophysical evaluation of the area, to determine the planting models and the choice of species
As the project is managed in a cooperative way, each farmer can at any time give advice or recommendations, as a full owner of the project via Acopagro.
Finally the regional government was informed about the project, and gave its approbation in May 2009.
Summary of the comments received:
The project is generally well accepted: - Farmers are proud to be part of a climate change mitigation program - Farmers are thankful for this help to reforest their lands - Farmers are thankful for the additional and diversified incomes they will able to use for their retirement or children education. - The producers also declared they were very interested by the possibility of developing projects of carbon sequestration. The cocoa fields’ carbon will help them enter in this bio-business. - The project was quoted as an example of a successful reforestation in the San Martin Region in the San Martin Regional Government.
Some doubts or requests were taken into account: a. Will a real efficient monitoring process be implemented? (they’ve heard of or known other projects projects led by other entities that did not include follow up in the long run) b. Will the farmers receive trainings about agroforestry and forestry practices? c. The farmers requested additional species to be planted d. How will the farmers fight against the pest hipsiphila grandella, attacking caoba and cedro nativo? v3.0 63 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: VCS Version 3
Report on how due account was taken of any comments received:
In the project development, all these questions were taken into account: a. A monitoring plan has been developed and the cooperative is highly conscious that a monitoring in the long run is crucial for the development and permanence of the project. b. The farmers will receive trainings as explained in section A 5.5 c. The choice was made in agreement with farmers’ choice, seedlings availability, market available for timber, and species-site matching. d. There’s no universal solution to struggle against the pest. But good preventing silvicultural practices that will be taught to the farmer, permit preventing the parcel infestation. The project coordinator or the Forest Engineer in charge of the farmers’ training will keep looking for solutions and informing the farmers.
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HISTORY OF THE DOCUMENT
Version Standard Date Nature of revision version 1.0 VCS 2007.1 February 16, 2011 First version sent to Rainforest Alliance
2.0 VCS 2007.1 April 26, 2011 Adjusted version following Rainforest Alliance pre- validation report, prior to site visit - Integration of non-permanence risk assessment and buffer withholding determination - Modification of maximum number of credits generated (condition for rotation forestry projects: net removals averaged over rotation cycles) - Detail demonstration of additionality following VCS Tool VT0001 steps. - Correction of version of AR-AMS0001 methodology used
3.0 VCS 2007.1 May 11, 2011 Adjusted carbon calculations based on most recent forestry plan (small removals of trees => no rotation of plantations)
4.0 VCS 2007.1 August 12, 2011 Adjusted version following Rainforest Alliance first validation assessment report submitted July 27th 2011
5.0 VCS v3 September 28, PDD adjusted to match VCS version 3 requirements 2011 and template. Version sent to Rainforest Alliance for validation under Version 3 of VCS Standard.
6.0 VCS v3 October 25, 2011 Adjusted version following Rainforest Alliance draft validation assessment report submitted October 18th 2011
7.0 VCSv3 December 02, 2011 Information on Long Term Average calculation added in sections 1.7 and 3.4
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