ECOTRUST, a Ugandan conservation trust, runs a farmer-led carbon forestry program called Trees for Global Benefits (TGB) that pays smallholders for planting and maintaining trees. Operating under the Plan Vivo standard, the program has been active for over 20 years in biodiversity hotspots like Mount Elgon and the Albertine Rift. Farmers receive carbon payments that cover household expenses, school fees, and provide timber and firewood. The model turns land restoration into a viable business for rural communities while generating verified carbon credits. The article highlights farmer Betty Masamba Kalema, who joined in 2003 and used carbon payments to build her house, pay school fees, and support orphans. The program integrates indigenous trees into coffee plantations, providing shade, firewood, and timber. ECOTRUST's performance-based model shows how carbon finance can directly benefit smallholders in climate-vulnerable regions, though details on credit volumes and verification frequency are not fully covered in the piece.
