A Community-Based Approach to Forest Conservation is Taking Off in Mexico

By Mary Riddle April 25, 2025

In Mexico, ejidos are traditionally communal landholdings governed by assemblies. That community-centered approach carries over into the nature-based carbon removal projects locals create with Cool Effect, developing forest regeneration and sustainable harvesting practices that can replace extractive ones. Through the sale of carbon credits, communities can generate income by restoring the forest around them. That might look like organizing forest surveillance tours to detect pests and diseases, controlling weeds and invasive plants, or pruning and thinning trees.