Restoring the Azuero Peninsula
Once a lush native forest and biodiversity hotspot, only 7% of the forest cover in the Azuero Peninsula remains standing today. Entire woods have been slashed and burned for cattle ranching in the past 50 years, degrading land to such extent that farmers are no longer able to make a living off of cows.
Restoration offers a unique and compelling opportunity for landowners to earn a reliable source of income while contributing to ecosystem resilience.
By burning and slashing we have lost our forests, our water, and our way of life. We don’t want to change the landscape, only return it to its natural state
ERIC ELIAS DOMÍNGUEZ,
Azuero community member and cattle rancher
Azuero community member and cattle rancher
Project Azuero at a glance
Hectares
10,000+
Native tree species
75+
Trees being planted
6M+
Locals employed
300+
Community benefits
$70M+
Tonnes of co2 sequestered
4M+
Unparalleled ecological impact
Unparalleled ecological impact
- Restoring a biodiversity hotspot of global significance
- Protecting endemic animal and tree species
- Improving the hydrological health of an ecosystem suffering from chronic droughts due to man-made deforestation
- Sequestering millions of tons of carbon while cooling the area through increased vegetation cover
A new economic reality for local communities
A new economic reality for local communities
- Training, employing and supporting more than 300 members of the Santeño Community and enrolling over 150 smallholder farmers in the project
- Significantly increasing the take-home pay for farmers transitioning away from slash-and-burn cattle ranching
- Contributing to gender equality by creating unique employment opportunities for women
Get involved
Get involved
We work with landowners, funders, corporates, researchers, community organizations, and more – get in touch to learn more about our projects or what’s next at Ponterra.