MORFO launches a call for ARR developers in Brazil

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February 5, 2025

Brazil has committed to restoring 12 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, a goal that requires scaling up reforestation efforts nationwide. To contribute to this effort, MORFO is launching a call for projects on February 11, 2025, aimed at identifying reforestation initiatives led by carbon project developers.

Implementing cost-effective ARR projects for developers in Brazil

MORFO is a forest implementer, supporting partners in all operational and technical aspects of reforestation projects, including:

Native seed supply
Land diagnosis and project design
Planting operations
Early-stage monitoring

Since its founding, MORFO has worked to make large-scale forest restoration more accessible, implementing 24 restoration projects within compliance and carbon markets.

This call aims to establish long-term partnerships between MORFO and selected developers. A long-term commitment is key, as it allows MORFO to plan planting activities efficiently and optimize resources.

By participating, developers contribute to:

Lower procurement costs through better resource planning,
Ensuring large and growing planting areas,
Maintaining high-quality project execution.

Why participate? 3 key benefits for carbon developers

By establishing long-term partnerships, MORFO gains the visibility needed to optimize resources and scale operations.
In return, developers benefit from:

Cost Efficiency: Large-scale restoration at less than R$20,000 per hectare (~$3,500 USD), significantly reducing upfront costs and improving project feasibility.
Predictability: Transparent cost structures and secured planting capacity, ensuring financial planning certainty and minimizing execution risks.
Scalability: A guaranteed capacity for large-scale restoration and monitoring, powered by MORFO’s technology, enabling 20 to 50 hectares restored per day with optimized tracking and reporting.

Based on early feedback from developers, MORFO is also offering additional advisory support and buyer connections to strengthen projects:

Expert advisory support: Developers will have the option to receive feedback from industry professionals who can assess project details and suggest improvements. All discussions will remain confidential. There are three types of advisors:
- Environmental Advisors (UFSCar & UFV). Environmental advisors will evaluate the feasibility of the project, focusing on land suitability, biodiversity, ecological risks, and overall reforestation methodology. Our two environmental advisors are Fatima Piña-Rodriguez, Professor from the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) and Igor Assis, Associate Professor at the Soil Department (DPS) of the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV).
- Financial Advisors Financial experts from a top consulting firm will assess the project's financial sustainability, reviewing the financial model, funding structures, cost projections, and expected returns. They will also evaluate financial risks and help identify the necessary funding to ensure project success.
- Carbon Model Advisors (Google) Our long-term partner Google will provide guidance on carbon modeling and sequestration to ensure carbon credits meet international standards. They will also validate carbon storage claims for your reforestation efforts.

Buyer connections: If developers are interested, MORFO can help share project details with carbon buyers, increasing the chances of securing long-term funding and support.

Eligibility criteria

‍The call is open to developers, co-developers, or landowners who have already developed or plan to develop a project in 2025 or 2026. Eligible projects must be located in one of three key Brazilian biomes: the Amazon, the Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica), or the Cerrado and its transition areas, subject to evaluation.To be considered, projects should:

Have already started planting or plan to begin in 2025 or 2026.
Cover at least 1,000 hectares for the total project size, with preference given to projects of 5,000 hectares or more.
Align with our technical approach, which will be reviewed through an initial assessment.

Projects that are still in the early planning stages are also encouraged to apply, as MORFO can help assess feasibility and provide an initial cost estimate, strengthening the proposal to secure funding from buyers.