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The Plan Vivo Foundation has launched its first formalised Technical Advisory Group to support the technical development of the Plan Vivo System and projects.

The Group is composed of a wide range of experts in community-based natural resource management, ecosystem services quantification and monitoring, and the development of rural livelihood programmes. Expertise will be drawn from African, Asian and Latin American experts to ensure the System is practical and applicable in different developing country contexts.

The Group will provide elements of quality control in the application of Plan Vivo System, and contribute to the ongoing  participatory development of the Plan Vivo Standard through providing guidance and technical oversight.

Specific functions are to:

• Peer review technical documents from existing and potential Plan Vivo projects
• Provide recommendations on technical requirements in the Plan Vivo Standard and how they should be applied in practice
• Contribute to the development of tools and methodologies to support Plan Vivo projects

Download the full list of members here (pfd).

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May 2010 | New Plan Vivo project registered in Tanzania

A new Plan Vivo project, called Emiti Nibwo Bulora, has been validated and registered. The project is located in the Kagera district of Tanzania, and is supporting rural smallholders to carry out afforestation and agroforestry activities.

The project will be undertaken by Vi Agroforestry,as part of the wider Lake Victoria Regional Environmental and Sustainable Agricultural Productivity Programme (RESAPP). The programme supports smallholders to learn about and engage in tree planting and other land use management techniques, that are both sustainable and deliver economic and social benefits to small scale farmers and communities.

The project aims to bring 1300 ha under plan vivo management by 2012, delivering 90,000 Plan Vivo Certificates.

To access the project’s PDD and validation report, visit the project page.

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March 2010 | Trees for Global Benefits completes third-party verification

Trees for Global Benefits, a Plan Vivo project in Uganda, has completed its first third-party verification audit by the Rainforest Alliance. The project was found to meet the requirements of the Plan Vivo Standard, and be on target to generating over 50,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions reductions with additional livelihood and ecosystem benefits.

The full report can be downloaded here (pdf).

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In October 2009, over 35 organisations from 13 countries attended a workshop in San Cristobal, Mexico, which looked at how community carbon projects can increase their impact. Participants included WWF, USAID, CARE International, Conservation International, CCBA and Social Carbon.

For a full list of participants click here.

The workshop was jointly coordinated by AMBIO, the coordinator of the Scolel Te programme in Mexico, and the Plan Vivo Foundation. The workshop was made possible with the support of the International Development Research Centre, Canada.

The output of the workshop was a roadmap, identifying key barriers to scaling up community carbon projects, and recommending practical actions and strategies to overcoming barriers.

Download the Community Carbon Roadmap (pdf).

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Sept 2009 | Research shows Plan Vivo is reducing poverty in Uganda

A study recently published, which assessed the socio-economic impacts of the Trees for Global Benefits Plan Vivo project in Uganda, has found that the project is contributing to poverty reduction in Uganda. Participants in the project were found to have better housing, better access to education, bank accounts, and more diversified sources of income. To read the report in full, download here.