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Varaha – Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) in Bangladesh

Fostering farmer livelihoods & carbon credits via horticultural plantations in Bangladesh

BangladeshARRCarbon Removal

Buyer Protection

Counts towards net zero

Counts towards net neutrality Carbon Removal

Project Overview

Developed by Varaha

#4,600

Onboarded farmers

#15,000

Acres transformed

#180,000

Tonnes of carbon sequestered

Varaha has been driving the cultivation of high-value crops like mango and guava across the districts of Chapainawabganj, Nogaon, and Rajshahi in Bangladesh since 2020, with plans to diversify to more species in the next few years.

The project is set to expand to an impressive from a 2,000-hectare land base to 35,000 hectares by 2028, with further plans to expand at the same rate until 2040.

As the project scales, so does its volume of local partners. This means that over time, more farmers will receive training and upliftment, while simultaneously mitigating any risks that would be present when working with a single project partner.

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What is Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR)?

ARR is a method of restoring forest cover in areas that have been deforested or degraded, as well as planting trees in regions that have not been previously forested. This approach involves planting native and resilient tree species to sequester CO2 from the atmosphere while supporting biodiversity and improving ecosystem health.

In addition to capturing CO2, ARR projects provide critical environmental benefits, such as enhancing water cycles, preventing soil erosion, and creating habitats for wildlife. These projects also have socio-economic advantages, offering employment opportunities and sustainable resources for local communities.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has identified reforestation as a crucial tool for carbon sequestration. Global support is growing, with companies and organisations recognising ARR as an effective and scalable solution for addressing climate change.

Research

Sylvera ARR Ratings Framework

Sylvera's ARR Carbon Credit Ratings Framework provides a rigorous evaluation process for afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation projects.

Webinar Recording - A Buyer's Guide to Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR)

Discussions around how ARR effectively removes CO2 from the atmosphere by enhancing natural processes, featuring valuable insights from leading experts.

Project Certifications and Claims

Verified Carbon Standard

Registered on the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) registry under Verra's VCS AR-ACM0003 (project ID: 4456)

Syngenta Foundation For Sustainable Agriculture

Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture is a key partner involved in the implementation of the project. They assist with sourcing and training local smallholder farmers to uphold the project's integrity, reliability, and scalability.

AI Quality Framework

Senken follows a 500+ datapoint AI Quality Framework to select and onboard project developers. Only 5% of the projects we assess score high enough to make it into customer portfolios.

Socioeconomic Impact

The farmers retain 100% of the crops generated by this initiative, while also receiving a portion of the carbon credit sales on top of that. This is incredibly valuable for local community upliftment in Bangladesh, since the project works to revitalise degraded and deforested land in an area that would otherwise not bring high crop yields. As a result, the project improves food security and builds deep climate resilience for farming communities that are very vulnerable to a rapidly changing climate. Over 4600 farmers have been onboarded to this initiative so far, with this number set to scale as the project grows.

Environmental Impact

The project operates in an area that has experienced soil degragation due to factors such as erosion, landslides, flooding, and unscientific farming. Without the correct knowledge and resources, restoring this land to its natural, fertile state is nearly impossible to achieve - especially at scale. This is why Varaha is working to train local communities to restore soil health and promote agroforestry to reforest the region and sequester carbon in the process.

12. Responsible Consumption and Production

Senken's Take

Smallholder farmers operate 12% of all agricultural land globally but often lack agency, capacity, and resources to use the land in the most effective way. This has resulted in millions of acres of degraded and fallow land globally that is currently being used inefficiently for marginal subsistence farming.

Trees act as a very efficient way to revitalise degraded land, improve soil microbe biodiversity, and reduce soil erosion, leading to productivity gains. Additionally, planting native fruit and nut trees can effectively generate income, food security, and climate resilience benefits for vulnerable farming communities.

A standout feature of Varaha's initiative is its advanced digital Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) platform, KALKI. This technology employs remote sensing and machine learning to accurately monitor tree growth and carbon sequestration, ensuring accuracy, transparency and integrity in the generated carbon credits.

Strong social impact and co-benefits

Nature-based with premium quality