Selva Central Project

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Location: Selva Central, Peru (Andean–Amazon transition)
Project area: 11,200 ha (expanded)
Focus: Native reforestation, cocoa & coffee agroforestry, carbon removal, biodiversity restoration, and community development
Certification & standards: VERRA (VM0047), IFC Performance Standards, FPIC-compliant, ESG-ready
Project lifetime: 40 years (long-term carbon and ecosystem stewardship)

The Selva Central Project is a landscape-scale nature-based solutions program that restores 11,200 hectares of degraded Andean–Amazon transition forests using a science-based mix of native reforestation and income-generating agroforestry. The expanded scope amplifies carbon removal, biodiversity recovery and socio-economic benefits, converting degraded land into resilient forest mosaics that sequester carbon, reconnect habitats, and sustain local livelihoods.

We combine rigorous silviculture, remote sensing MRV, and participatory community governance to deliver robust, verifiable outcomes at scale.

Native reforestation (c.90% of planted area — 10,080 ha)

• Primary species include Cedrelinga cateniformis (Tornillo), Dipteryx ferrea (Shihuahuaco), Calycophyllum spruceanum (Capirona) and a complementary mix of locally adapted hardwoods and pioneers to accelerate canopy closure and soil recovery.
   
• Planting densities, spacing and species mixes are selected per micro-site using site-specific edaphic and hydrological data; typical densities range 400–800 trees/ha depending on species functional groups and long-term target basal area.
   
• Silvicultural program: enrichment planting, early weed control, nurse-row strategies where needed, and staged thinning to optimize growth, carbon uptake and timber/non-timber value.
   
• Nursery and outplanting protocols target survival rates >80% at Year 2 through phased planting, acclimatization and adaptive maintenance.
   

Agroforestry systems (c.10% of area — 1,120 ha)

• Cocoa- and coffee-based shade-agroforestry mosaics integrate native canopy species that deliver microclimate regulation, soil fertility and biodiversity corridors.
   
• Shade tree selection prioritizes native timber and multipurpose species to deliver long-term ecological and economic co-benefits.
   
• Technical itineraries include planting calendars, shade and pruning regimes, organic fertility plans and integrated pest management adapted to farmer capacity building.
   

The project follows VERRA VM0047 (improved forest management & ARR dynamic baseline) with a 40-year crediting lifetime and five-year verification cycles.
 

MRV uses a hybrid approach: permanent field inventory plots (allometric biomass sampling) combined with annual remote sensing & GIS change detection to quantify carbon stock changes, leakage and baseline dynamics across the expanded landscape. Dynamic baseline modelling, conservative buffers and reversal risk mitigation are applied to protect permanence.

Expected removal: c.4.4 million tCO₂e over 40 years (conservative estimate, subject to final verification and ex-post measurement).
 

Restoration emphasizes structural complexity and species diversity to accelerate habitat recovery for endemic and threatened fauna and flora, and to rebuild functional ecological networks. Landscape planning includes riparian buffer restoration, erosion control, micro-catchment interventions and connectivity corridors to stabilize hydrology and protect downstream water services.

Biodiversity monitoring combines species inventories, camera trapping and indicator taxa surveys to measure ecological recovery and guide adaptive management.
 

Full FPIC procedures and community co-design are central to project development. Communities participate in land use zoning, benefit-sharing design and social investment planning. The scaled project is projected to create >600 green jobs across nursery operations, planting, agroforestry services, monitoring and forest management, with targeted training in silviculture, MRV, agroforestry and business skills.
 

Revenue streams (carbon credits, sustainable timber/non-timber harvests, agroforestry crop sales) are structured into transparent benefit-sharing agreements to secure predictable, long-term community income.

Governance arrangements include community councils, co-management agreements and grievance mechanisms aligned with IFC Performance Standards.
 

Community-led fire management, fuel-break design, early-warning systems and capacity building reduce reversal risk across the expanded landscape.
 

Adaptive governance: annual ecological and social monitoring informs five-year review cycles to refine species mixes, silviculture and livelihood strategies.
 

Project design meets investor expectations with IFC Performance Standards, robust social safeguards and VERRA VM0047 certification for high-integrity removal credits.
 

Transparent financial modelling and independent verification embed investor-grade governance to deliver auditable impact and market-ready assets.
 

- 11,200 ha of degraded lands restored with native forests and agroforestry mosaics.
 

- c.4.4 million tCO₂e removed across 40 years (subject to conservative verification).
 

- >600 sustainable jobs and robust benefit-sharing mechanisms for local communities.
 

- Measurable biodiversity recovery, enhanced watershed function and strengthened climate resilience for the Selva Central landscape.
 

- Market-ready, VERRA-certified credits linked to verifiable environmental and social outcomes.
 

Selva Central demonstrates how rigorous science, strong community partnerships and market instruments can restore tropical landscapes at scale. If you’re an investor, corporate buyer or partner seeking high-integrity carbon removal, biodiversity co-benefits and durable social impact at landscape scale, let’s connect.

📩 Contact: info@fronterra.eco