
The Landscape Policy Accelerator
Latin America

Latin America and the Caribbean hold 27% of the world’s forests, but 40% of these lands are either degraded or deforested. Initiative 20x20, led by 18 countries, aims to restore 50 million hectares by 2030. In support of this goal, the Landscape Policy Accelerator provides key technical support to member countries, helping them design effective public policies that regreen the land. The program has been active in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru.

Brazil
Brazil is exploring how to improve public incentive programs so that they boost restoration efforts and help farmers access loans from development banks.
Though WRI Brazil and Initiative 20x20, the Landscape Policy Accelerator supported efforts under the Reflorestar Program in Espírito Santo by providing exchanges with other countries like Costa Rica to improve the program and enable peer-to-peer learning. Recognized as an effective model for Payments for Ecosystem Services, the program also enabled government officials from the State of São Paulo to develop water source restoration policies. The Accelerator also provided a preliminary review of how carbon concessions might impact land tenure in Brazil, aiming to understand their effects on local populations’ land rights.
Chile
In partnership with the Landscape Policy Accelerator, Chile has revised its native forest restoration incentive programs to boost demand and increase the number of hectares under restoration, supporting both the National Landscape Restoration Plan and the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The Accelerator is also partnering with CONAF, the country’s national forestry department, to make Chile’s Native Forest Law more accessible to women and indigenous communities.
Colombia
The Landscape Policy Accelerator worked with the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADS) on a stakeholder mapping exercise across six priority landscapes, identifying key restoration actors and their priorities. The Ministry then used this information to shape and improve landscape restoration plans under Colombia’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
Costa Rica
Costa Rica has partnered with the Landscape Policy Accelerator to explore how public incentives can support sustainable value chains. The Ministry of Environment and Energy is developing a new policy that offers financial rewards to landowners who choose to restore degraded land on their property. In return, these landowners share valuable data and lessons learned from their experiences. This real-world information helps the government to shape future incentive programs, tailoring them more effectively to the needs of people on the ground.
El Salvador
The Landscape Policy Accelerator partnered with El Salvador's Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) to reform the country's ecosystem compensation mechanism. This updated policy, which could serve as a model for other countries, increases public funding for restoration by requiring business to pay fees if their operations degrade the environment.
That money funds the restoration of a similar ecosystem in the country, ensuring zero net loss and protecting biodiversity. The program also improves fairness and transparency in environmental assessments by using standardized indicators.
Guatemala
The Guatemalan Forest Service (INAB) struggles to expand its public incentive programs, PROBOSQUE and PINPEP, due to limited capacity for project monitoring, which requires costly and time-consuming field verification. With support from Accelerator mentors, INAB created a solution that combines remote sensing and field verification. This new approach will make the certification process faster, more affordable, and allow the government to track program performance and assess projects more efficiently.
Mexico
Through the HSBC-funded Climate Solutions Partnership, The Landscape Policy Accelerator collaborated with Mexico's National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR) to secure funding via the Payment for Ecosystem Services - Matching Funds program with the goal of enhancing water security in key agricultural states. This program doubles farmer contributions by matching them with government funds, and pools the resources to conserve watersheds, ensure a constant water supply for the farmers, and support rural communities.
Additionally, the Accelerator is collaborating with the State of Veracruz to establish an environmental compensation program and green investments unit to promote nature-positive investments.
Peru
The Landscape Policy Accelerator partnered with SERFOR, the national forestry department, to assess the right conditions for restoration in Peru. This led to the design and development of the National Restoration Strategy, PROREST. Now, SERFOR is developing incentives to fulfill its national commitments and leverage private sector investment.