Poverty Alleviation: Over 1.2 billion people worldwide depend on forests for their livelihoods.³ Foresta’s projects will have major social impacts in rural areas with high rates of poverty. The company’s investments will create dozens of local jobs for low-skilled workers, paying above the national minimum wage and vastly above the prevailing informal wages. The company will formulate wage and hiring policies that favor women, who tend to have fewer opportunities due to discrimination. Evidence suggests that women tend to allocate a greater percentage of their savings to children’s education, nutrition and health, amplifying social impact.⁴

Biodiversity Restoration & Protection: The destruction of forests is intimately connected to plant and animal biodiversity. By planting indigenous trees along rivers and streams, the restoration corridors will provide habitat for and encourage the repopulation of native flora and fauna. The biodiversity value will be substantial. The company will strictly limit the use of non-native species, and incorporate the highest possible percentage of high-value native species permitted by financial and technical constraints. Native species are well-adapted to local soil conditions and resistant to local pests. By contrast, monoculture plantations have lower genetic diversity, increase the chance of soil erosion, and are more susceptible to disease.

Soil & Water Enhancement: Forests play a protective function by conserving soils and water resources, combating desertification, and protecting coastlines. Reforestation increases soil fertility, reduces erosion and boosts hydrological capacity. The watershed area containing the eco-plantations will increase underground aquifers and increase water flows. This water will help reverse desertification that is occurring in many poor rural areas. Local subsistence farmers can tap increased water supplies to irrigate crops and achieve higher yields.

Buffer against Extreme Weather: Forest loss can lead to an increase in flooding and landslides causing extensive property damage and loss of life. In Haiti 3,000 people died in the wake of a tropical storm, while only 18 people perished in the Dominican Republic. The disparity was related to deforestation in Haiti where 98% of original forest cover has disappeared.⁵ In 2005, hundreds of people lost their lives in deforestation-linked landslides in Central America under the heavy rains of Hurricane Stan.⁶

NASA Satellite Photo of Deforestation on Haiti/Dominican Rep. Border

[1] “Forests and climate change: A convenient truth.” FAO, 2008.