1. Refuse
2. Reduce
3. Reuse
4. Repair
5. Recycle
6. Relocalise
And what’s left,
7. Offset
© It’s the Planet 2008
Scolel Té Project for sustainable livelihoods and carbon management, Mexico
Scolel Té project, in southern Mexico, is the original Plan Vivo project. The Plan Vivo system for developing sustainable livelihoods through the provision of carbon services derives its name from the Planes Vivos or work plans which are created by farmers participating in this project.
The title of the project Scolel Té - “the tree that grows” - was chosen by the farmers themselves. It now includes over 2000 families of indigenous Mayan and mestizo farmers.
Scolel Té started as an operational project in 1997.
How is the carbon stored?
Establishment of small plantations of high value native timber trees in tropical areas; restoration of degraded pine-oak forest in upland areas; and protection and restoration of cloud forest.
Other ecosystem services enhanced
In order to achieve a self-sufficient supply of trees for the project, farmers have been trained to collect seeds from the forest for propagation in communal nurseries to produce saplings. This training identified the forest species of interest due to the quality of their wood and their potential uses, as well as suitable areas for seed collection, the time of collection and the individuals responsible. Some of the species are: maculis (Tabebuia spp.), cedar (Cedrus spp.), teak (Tectona spp.), pine (Pinus chiapensis), and alder (Alnus spp.), the latter to provide for firewood in the community.
Trees growing in agroforestry systems have been assessed to help in the medium-term with carrying out appropriate thinning and in the long-term to assess the quantity of hardwood available for use.
Social benefits
As with other Plan Vivo projects, Scolel Té is notable for its work with low income farmers in marginal areas and for its ability to bring together smallholders and communities to deliver benefits from environmental services.
In the past, the activities and objectives which improve the carbon sequestration within the project area have been coupled with actions which directly or indirectly bring social benefits for the producers involved. A project named “Management of fire in the ejido of Marqués de Comillas”, was developed and is aimed at the prevention of forest fires in the region. Fires are common, especially in the drier areas, and have the potential to devastate areas of young trees. Additionally, training was given for the management of livestock farming systems, and fuelwood saving stoves have been installed for project families.
Monitoring/Verification/Risk
The project uses the Plan Vivo carbon management system and sells carbon services in the form of Plan Vivo Certificates.
Third-party verification is by the Rainforest Alliance’s Smartwood programme.
Participants/technical support
The project is administered as a non-profit trust fund, the Fondo Bioclimático, with technical services provided by the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management (ECCM), El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), and the Rainforest Alliance’s Smartwood programme.
Several BSc. and MSc. thesis have been produced through ECOSUR. Topics covered include aspects of the growth, quality and management of several agroforestry systems (coffee plantations, living hedges, and the taungya treeplanting system) which were established to enhance carbon sequestration. Estimates of carbon stored in the soil of these systems were also made. Concerning the social aspect of the project, an MSc and a PhD thesis have focused on quantifying the benefits that local communities have obtained from the implementation of agroforestry practices.
Links
Rainforest Alliance - Smartwood
The Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management (ECCM)