Enhancing resilience to climate change through the Recarbonization of Agrosilvopastoral Soils in Mexico

The project aims to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) and reduce non-CO2 emissions (N2O and CH4) to benefit 63,697 small-scale farmers in Mexico. It employs a stratified approach across three clusters: adaptation-focused (red), combined adaptation and mitigation (orange), and mitigation-focused (green). The initiative includes strengthening institutional governance, deploying the 'Soil Doctors' capacity-building program, and establishing a national climate finance system featuring carbon credits and an 'SSM Seal' for certified sustainable products.

• Mexico's agricultural sector is a significant source of emissions, with N2O emissions from fertilizers accounting for nearly half of the sector's total greenhouse gas emissions.
• Widespread soil degradation affects Mexico, with an estimated 64% of soils degraded due to agricultural and livestock activities, leading to the depletion of soil organic carbon.
• The project targets 114,000 hectares of land, with an estimated annual mitigation potential of 121,000 t CO2eq through soil recarbonization and the reduction of N2O emissions.
• The intervention is stratified into three clusters based on climate risk and carbon sequestration potential: adaptation areas (Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Guanajuato), adaptation and mitigation areas (Veracruz, Chiapas, Campeche, Guerrero), and mitigation areas (Nayarit, Morelos, Veracruz, Chiapas).
• The project aims to benefit 63,697 small farmers, specifically those with land holdings of less than 5 hectares, focusing on youth and women to implement climate justice.
• A key operational component is the 'Soil Doctors' program, a training-of-trainers initiative where 'champion' farmers are trained in soil science to assist other community members in adopting SSM practices.
• The project proposes a new national climate finance system for agriculture, including a 'Green Path' for basic incentives and a 'Carbon Credit Path' for experienced producers to generate transferable carbon credits.
• An 'SSM Seal' will be developed as a marketing tool to certify that agricultural products were produced using sustainable soil management practices that contribute to climate mitigation.
• The project identifies significant institutional barriers, including the lack of a dedicated national program for soil management and the absence of a monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) system for agricultural soil organic carbon.
• The total indicative project cost is USD 88 million, with USD 38 million requested as a grant from the Green Climate Fund and USD 50 million in co-financing.

APA

Green Climate Fund (2021). Enhancing resilience to climate change through the Recarbonization of Agrosilvopastoral Soils in Mexico. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/27210-enhancing-resilience-climate-change-through-recarbonization-agrosilvopastoral-soils-mexico.pdf

Chicago

Green Climate Fund. Enhancing resilience to climate change through the Recarbonization of Agrosilvopastoral Soils in Mexico. 2021. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/27210-enhancing-resilience-climate-change-through-recarbonization-agrosilvopastoral-soils-mexico.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Climate Fund |title=Enhancing resilience to climate change through the Recarbonization of Agrosilvopastoral Soils in Mexico |date=14 December 2021 |url=https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/27210-enhancing-resilience-climate-change-through-recarbonization-agrosilvopastoral-soils-mexico.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenclimatefund2021enhancing, author = {{Green Climate Fund}}, title = {{Enhancing resilience to climate change through the Recarbonization of Agrosilvopastoral Soils in Mexico}}, institution = {Green Climate Fund}, year = {2021}, month = dec, url = {https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/27210-enhancing-resilience-climate-change-through-recarbonization-agrosilvopastoral-soils-mexico.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }