What we do/In action/Colombia
Turning degraded cattle pasture in Colombia into a cacao and carbon project for a global brand
We connected cacao production, landscape restoration, carbon development and corporate supply-chain accounting in one integrated project.
The task
A global food brand wanted to convert degraded cattle pasture into a multilayer cacao agroforestry system.
The brand also wanted to account for the carbon removals in its own climate reporting. This meant registering the project under a carbon standard and linking its accounting to Scope 3 emissions.
The outcome
- Agroforestry1,767 haCacao agroforestry established on degraded pasture
- CertifiedVCSCCB GoldCarbon project registered with Verra
- Livelihoods350+ jobsFair wages and socio-economic empowerment
- Corporate claimScope 3A framework for the brand to claim the removals in its climate reporting
The challenges
The project converted degraded cattle pasture into multilayer cacao agroforestry for a global food brand that wanted to count the carbon removals in its own climate reporting.
Restoring the land was only half of it. The removals also had to count, both with a carbon registry and in the brand's corporate reporting.
- A system no methodology coveredStandard carbon methodologies were not built for multilayer cacao agroforestry on degraded pasture.
- A claim no protocol supportedNo off-the-shelf protocol linked project-level carbon credits to corporate Scope 3 reporting.
What made the difference
Resilience is created when farm performance, natural capital, supply-chain value and rural livelihoods reinforce one another.
Adaptation for certification
We adapted an existing reforestation methodology to the cacao system, so the project could be validated under VCS and CCB.Accounting both ways
We led the brand's working group that linked project-level carbon accounting to GHG Protocol Scope 3 reporting.Built to scale
A grouped project structure lets new farms in the region join without re-validation.Carbon credit registry
We led the project design, the long-term carbon model, the independent audit, the stakeholder consultations and the Verra registration.
Degraded land can become a supply chain asset.
- From December 2026, large and medium companies must prove the cacao they place on the EU market is deforestation-free.
- Food companies setting science-based targets must now include land-based targets, and removals in their supply chain count toward them.