A VW-backed carbon offset project in Tanzania aims to sequester carbon by imposing a rigid 14-day rotational grazing system on Maasai herders. The Longido Monduli Rangelands Carbon Project spans nearly 970,000 hectares and has drawn strong opposition from the Maasai, who say it disrupts centuries-old grazing practices and threatens access to sacred sites and medicinal plants. Critics point to a lack of informed consent, contracts in foreign languages, and payments of $2 per hectare that are far below market rates. The project also operates in a regulatory grey area, as Tanzania's emissions trading rules were designed for forests, not rangelands. The developer, Soils for the Future Tanzania, disputes these claims, insisting consultations are held in Swahili and Maa and that land rights are preserved.
