Cresol Credit Union System was founded in 1995 by 27 family farmers in southwest Paraná, Brazil, to improve access to rural credit and financial services for smallholders excluded from traditional banking. It has grown into a three-tier cooperative financial system with 1 confederation, 4 central credit unions, 72 first-tier credit unions and 734 branches across 18 Brazilian states. Cresol provides financial services to more than 786,000 member families, including over 245,000 people involved in agriculture. Its model combines member savings and investments with funding from Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES), private and development banks and international funds. Cresol provides productive and investment credit, working capital, insurance, savings, digital services and technical assistance. Through its Rural Entrepreneurship programme and rural finance methodology, it links finance with management support, better use of natural resources, technology and sustainable practices supporting family farming and local development.
Be Green Trade is an integrated business incubator and market developer established by the Business Work Foundation (Fundación Trabajo Empresa or FTE), in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. It combines a 5,000 m² shared workspace with business planning, training, mentoring, legal support, product development and marketing services for micro and small enterprises working with recycled wood, timber and non-timber forest products. Through partnerships with public institutions, businesses, universities, NGOs and professional networks, it connects producers with technical expertise, sales channels and market information.
Be Green Trade responds to a central constraint: forest products and their environmental, social and cultural value are poorly recognized in markets, while small enterprises face limited finance, formalization requirements and competition from imports and informal businesses. Over five years, it supported about 40 businesses and contributed to 815 direct jobs, including 423 for women and 147 for people under 25.
The Amazon Chakra Seal was developed in Napo Province, Ecuador, as a shared label for products from the traditional Kichwa chakra agroforestry system. The chakra integrates diverse crops, trees, medicinal plants, ancestral knowledge and family and community life, supporting food sovereignty, ecosystem services and biocultural heritage. Kallari, Wiñak and Tsatsayaku initiated the process through Grupo Chakra, later joining Inti and Ally Guayusa in the Corporation of Amazon Chakra Associations. Legally constituted in 2021, the corporation represents 850 families from 21 communities. The Seal uses a participatory guarantee system based on nine principles to reduce reliance on costly third-party certification and position chakra products in differentiated markets. Producer organisations, technical delegations, an ethics committee and a general assembly implement the system with support from public institutions, research bodies and international partners.
The Laguna Marfil Municipal Integrated Natural Management Area is home to the largest lagoon in the Chiquitanía region and 12 Chiquitano indigenous communities. Fishing was the main local livelihood, but droughts and fires made fishing more difficult and increased pressure from deforestation. Among alternatives involving non-timber forest products, the mangaba (Hancornia speciosa) stood out—an abundant species with exceptionally flavorful fruit, though fragile and perishable. To harness its potential, harvesting, processing, and promotional trials were conducted in high-end restaurants to generate commercial demand; subsequently, a fully equipped processing facility with a photovoltaic system for refrigeration was built. An inclusive, cooperative venture involving harvesters has been established. The results are significant on ecological, economic, and social levels. Fire prevention and control have improved, dozens of families participate in the harvest, and commercial demand exceeds current production capacity.
TortuBanks, now part of the Balance y Consciencia OBC Environmental Association, has a mission to implement intergenerational community actions focused on the conservation of sea turtles on the coast of Punta Chame, Panama. Through constant monitoring of nests, the use of non-invasive methodologies, the creation of nurseries, and in situ protection, a high hatching and release rate of hatchlings has been achieved. At the same time, educational activities, workshops with recycled materials, beach cleanups, and programs such as “Adopt Your Nest” are developed to strengthen environmental awareness and the community’s emotional connection to conservation. The initiative promotes recycling, social responsibility, and coordination with public and private actors. All work is carried out on a voluntary basis, highlighting the community’s genuine commitment. TortuBanks integrates science, education, and participation to achieve effective and sustainable conservation with environmental and social impact.
In Bolivia, the expansion of agriculture and livestock farming on degraded soils is increasing pressure to clear the Chiquitano Dry Forest. The Chiquitanía Sostenible Model Forest promotes sustainable production through regenerative practices, restoring soils to support both production and conservation. Through demonstration plots, farmers are implementing cover crops, mixed cover systems, crop rotations, and improved pasture management to restore soil fertility, water infiltration, and organic matter, thereby gradually increasing productivity. In addition, functional biodiversity (pollinating bees, earthworms, and coprophagous beetles) is monitored. At the landscape scale, the initiative integrates agroforestry, regenerative livestock farming with water management and spring protection, restoration of degraded ecosystems, and fire prevention. Non-timber resources (wild fruits, honey, and Chiquitano almonds) are also promoted, thereby enhancing the value of the standing forest and reducing pressure for deforestation.
The project promoted restoration, prioritizing the following ecosystems: natural grasslands, native forests, wetlands, and coastal ecosystems.
The project achieved the following:
These experiences, framed within a national planning process, fuel inclusive debate and the creation of public policy on restoration, as well as contributing to the National Biodiversity Strategy. Among the overall environmental benefits the project aimed to generate, 11,164 ha of degraded land and ecosystems have been restored.
PROAMAZONÍA, an Ecuadorian initiative for 2017–2023, which reduced deforestation and CO2 emissions. It linked national efforts to reduce emissions, priority agendas, and productive policies within the REDD+ framework, as outlined in its REDD+ Action Plan “Forests for Good Living” (2016–2025). It succeeded in reducing emissions from deforestation by 7 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents, contributing to Ecuador’s NDC. Comprising projects funded by the GCF and GEF, it was implemented by MAATE, MAG, and UNDP.
It addressed four components: REDD+ policies and institutional framework, transition to sustainable production, sustainable forest management, conservation and restoration, and operational management of REDD+. It updated land-use planning instruments, facilitated the transition to sustainable production across 93,000 hectares, conserved and sustainably managed 790,000 hectares of forests, and restored 15,000 hectares of Amazonian forests, benefiting 83,000 people.
Since 2008, the Tucumán Model Forest has distinguished itself through territorial governance led by the Cooperativa Generar. The governance approach centres on knowledge transfer and reinforces key processes and capacities among grassroots actors. This turns isolated efforts into coordinated “glocal” (global and local) development strategies and serves as a scalable model. Within this structure, the Cooperativa Generar uses its legal status to strengthen the Fundación Coquena (Tourism Guides), which, in turn, supports the Cooperativa Lagoferiantes (Women Producers). The organisation’s legal status enables its autonomy. It allows networks to self-manage and engage in international cooperation, even in political and economic adversity. As “Guardians of the Forest,” these organisations influence public policies on land-use, restoration, and climate action. The impact is reflected in improvements in marketing and social empowerment, which guarantee economic well-being without sacrificing ecosystem conservation.
The Latin American Model Forest Youth Network (RLJBM) is a voluntary organisation that brings together young people from Latin America and the Caribbean to strengthen their participation in environmental governance. It was created in response to the lack of youth inclusion in decision making and seeks to promote intergenerational knowledge exchange on landscape management. In 2022, the Youth Network was formed through workshops and processes to identify young leaders, and in 2023, it was formalised as an autonomous network. In 2024, RLJBM was consolidated through mentoring from the Chocó Andino Model Forest and held its first face-to-face meeting in Costa Rica, where thematic priorities and a horizontal governance structure were defined. RLJBM currently has a Central Committee representing several countries and promoting conservation, environmental education, inclusion, and regional coordination activities.
The RNDN, created in 2021, is the largest Natural Protected Area in Peru (6,239,205.75 ha) and the only one focused exclusively on marine ecosystems. Located 105 km off the coast of Ica, it is a vital source of resources like giant squid, sharks, and flying fish eggs for fishers from Paita, Pisco, Marcona, and Matarani. Its creation was an unprecedented multisectoral process that involved various stakeholders and governmental institutions. In 2022, the San Andres Artisanal Fishers Syndicate led the RNDN management committee, and in 2023 the Master Plan’s terms of reference were approved. The first Master Plan was developed collaboratively with fishing organizations and stakeholders, setting strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of natural and cultural resources. This plan integrates commitments to protect marine species, including the “Blue Five” (in this case whales, sharks, turtles and dolphins), and recognizes the identity and knowledge of artisanal fishers as part of the sociocultural value of the NPA.
Adventure Scientists’ Coral Reef Monitoring and Restoration Project is building the first coordinated, standardized coral reef monitoring network spanning two of Latin America’s most important marine regions: the Mesoamerican Reef Corridor and the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR). The project trains and employs local divers, coordinators, data analysts, and local photographers to collect standardized reef health data in marine protected areas using regionally adapted monitoring protocols and a custom mobile application. Since launching in August 2025, the project has completed over 1,500 monitoring transects across more than 100 reef sites in Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Mexico. In Year 2, the network is expanding to Ecuador, further strengthening regional collaboration. The long-term vision is to establish a permanent community science network that generates the data needed for coordinated conservation action across national boundaries and supports coral reef resilience throughout Latin America.
