Sustainable Market Approaches for Regenerating Territories with Agricultural Goods in Puerto Rico

The project will support and empower smallholder coffee farmers in Puerto Rico to transition to climate- smart agriculture and forestry practices through identification of viable practices and support for their implementation on farms. The project will also account of greenhouse gas-related benefits and co- benefits throughout the supply chain and develop of a unique Puerto Rican branded climate-smart coffee label and voluntary program.

This project plans to focus on implementing agroforestry and afforestration practices on working lands, application of biochar as a soil amendment and multi-story cropping. Caribbean Regenerative Community Development(CRCD), Gnarly Tree Sustainable Institute (GTSI), and University of Wisconsin plan to co-establish the MMRV plan and local monitoring teams, coordinate baseline and follow-up data collection, build databases useful for the implementation of COMET-Planner and iTree on agricultural lands in PR, and engage with local universities to support student research opportunities and data collection; this task would encompass field monitoring, primarily through soil sampling and testing, as well as the development of lifecycle carbon accounting methodologies.

The team also plans to evaluate MMRV methodologies that may support participants’ entry into carbon markets. CRCD and GTSI plan to partner to develop a climate-smart certification brand for Puerto Rican coffee and chocolate.

CRCD’s marketing specialist plan to spearhead the development of the name and tagline, design a climate-smart certification that is in line with or exceeds third party certification standards, develop the brand story, provide product validation of the name, language, and design in both Spanish and English, create a brand website and social media starter kit, and launch a brand activation program to generate interest and excitement in PR’s premium quality, ethical, and sustainable coffee; GTSI and CRCD plan to ensure the climate-smart certification is in line with or exceeds third party certification standards and lead outreach and recruitment efforts with farmers. A woman-led 501(c)(3) non-profit founded and based in Puerto Rico that supports the development of sustainable agriculture and food security on the island plans to focus on small and underserved coffee producers in Puerto Rico.

Learn more and apply here.