An ecologically strategic piece of one of the world’s most threatened habitats – the Atlantic Forest of Brazil – will be reforested and protected as part of a partnership brokered by Rainforest Alliance and organisers of the Transat Jacques Vabre, according to an ENN report. Jacques Vabre – the coffee brand behind the transatlantic yacht race – approached conservation organisation Rainforest Alliance to identify and create a program that would enable the estimated greenhouse gas emissions from the race to be offset through a reforestation project in Brazil, where the race ends.

Rainforest Alliance and Jacques Vabre have been working together for a number of years on sustainable coffee sourcing. Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Chief, Chris Wille, said bringing together the interests of coffee farmers and local communities whilst also helping conserve one of the worlds most threatened and bio diverse forests was a terrific opportunity and challenge for the company. “The investment made by Transat Jacques Vabre will enable thousands of native trees to be planted as part of important conservation efforts and demonstrates the real value that carbon offsets through community forestry projects can deliver,” he said. In selecting the organisations and the site to offset the emissions, Transat Jacques Vabre and Rainforest Alliance turned to Forest Trends, a US-based NGO, which recommended a coalition of environmental groups led by The Nature Conservancy (TNC). The 2,700 t of carbon dioxide estimated to be produced by the race and associated fair will be offset by thousands of native trees to be planted in deforested areas within the Caraiva River Basin, where the TNC is concentrated, thereby helping to restore one of the world’s most bio diverse and threatened ecosystems, Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. In order to make sure that any variations in tree growth and survival rates are covered, Jacques Vabre will be buying an extra amount (+20%) than the estimated emissions for the event.