The Ecopreneur Movement

35,000households enrolled

~30Mtrees targeted

~2M tCO₂etargeted annually

Zambia

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Ecopreneur Movement Miombo Zambia child with cow

Building a rural climate economy from the ground up

Zambia's Miombo woodlands are the ecological, economic and cultural foundation of rural life, supporting farming, grazing, fuel, food and biodiversity across a vast landscape. Yet around a quarter of Zambia burns every year, largely because fire remains the fastest and cheapest way to clear land for farming, produce charcoal, and hunt and gather food. Fires have been part of life here for generations, but they now return so frequently that young trees struggle to regrow, leaving the woodland trapped in a cycle of degradation.

The Ecopreneur Movement starts from a simple idea: communities already value their woodland, but economic pressures often leave them with few alternatives. Through a set of activities that benefit both families and the landscape, participating farmers are paid to become stewards of their land, making restoration and regeneration a more attractive choice for both household livelihoods and long-term woodland health.

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Why carbon finance is critical

Community Climate Solutions (CCS), the project developer behind Ecopreneur Movement, funds operations and ecosystem-service payments upfront, before carbon revenue is expected. In communities where economic pressures can drive short-term extraction, creating viable income opportunities during restoration is critical. Farmers are paid for the work they carry out from the outset, while CCS takes on the project-development risk and bridges the gap before carbon revenues are generated.

Ecopreneur Movement is built around farmers as the drivers of restoration, creating strong alignment between livelihoods and environmental outcomes. For buyers looking to support a next-generation VM0047 project with CCP-labelled credentials, it provides a compelling blend of community participation and long-term carbon impact.

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From challenge to measurable impact

A large tree with a thick trunk and sprawling roots hosts a group of people sitting along the base, shaded by dense green leaves on a sunny day.

Two people stand in a grassy, dusty field with a large herd of cows behind them under a cloudy sky; trees and hills in the distance.

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Challenge

Rural households in Zambia’s Miombo woodlands have few sources of income, so many rely on slash-and-burn farming and charcoaling to meet immediate needs. Clearing and burning the woodland depletes and erodes soils microbiology. Over time, yields fall and farmers become reliant on costly synthetic the fertilizers which create fresh short-term pressures that drive further woodland clearing in a cycle of degradation with no end in sight.

Solution

Ecopreneurs plant native trees alongside crops and livestock, protect natural regrowth, create and maintain fire-prevention measures, improve grazing management and use compost to support soil health. Training and local field support help translate the project design into farm-level action. Payments for ecosystem services begin before carbon issuance, rewarding participants for activities they can control today. Monitoring combines field teams and satellite data. Digital payment records connect financial benefits to individual participants, while project-level revenue reporting and independent audit are intended to strengthen transparency.

Impact

The project targets landscape-scale restoration of Miombo woodland and farm-tree systems, with up to two million tonnes of annual carbon impact by 2030. Its most distinctive outcome is economic agency. Farmers are positioned as paid providers of climate services, not passive beneficiaries waiting for a project to succeed around them. Restoration, fire reduction, improved farming practices and transparent payments are designed to reinforce one another, building ecological resilience and a new source of rural income.

Challenge: Rural households in Zambia’s Miombo woodlands have few sources of income, so many rely on slash-and-burn farming and charcoaling to meet immediate needs. Clearing and burning the woodland depletes and erodes soils microbiology. Over time, yields fall and farmers become reliant on costly synthetic the fertilizers which create fresh short-term pressures that drive further woodland clearing in a cycle of degradation with no end in sight.
Solution: Ecopreneurs plant native trees alongside crops and livestock, protect natural regrowth, create and maintain fire-prevention measures, improve grazing management and use compost to support soil health. Training and local field support help translate the project design into farm-level action. Payments for ecosystem services begin before carbon issuance, rewarding participants for activities they can control today. Monitoring combines field teams and satellite data. Digital payment records connect financial benefits to individual participants, while project-level revenue reporting and independent audit are intended to strengthen transparency.
Impact: The project targets landscape-scale restoration of Miombo woodland and farm-tree systems, with up to two million tonnes of annual carbon impact by 2030. Its most distinctive outcome is economic agency. Farmers are positioned as paid providers of climate services, not passive beneficiaries waiting for a project to succeed around them. Restoration, fire reduction, improved farming practices and transparent payments are designed to reinforce one another, building ecological resilience and a new source of rural income.

One project. A multitude of outcomes.

35,000 rural households

Turning woodland restoration into a reliable source of income.

30 million native trees targeted.

The project plans landscape-scale agroforestry and restoration planting.

Up to 2m tCO₂e sequestered annually

sequestered annually.

60% minimum community share

of distributable carbon revenue committed to flow directly back to Zambian communities.

Payments before credits

Farmers receive ecosystem-service payments before forecast carbon revenue arrives.

Contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Close-up of a coffee plant with clusters of green and red coffee cherries along woody branches, set among dark green glossy leaves.

SDG 1: No Poverty

Creating income through ecosystem services and future carbon revenue. Upfront ecosystem-service payments are designed to create income before future carbon issuance.

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SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Recognizing farmers as paid Ecopreneurs. Farmers are paid for practical restoration activities and participate in a stated future revenue-sharing model.

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SDG 13: Climate Action

Increasing tree cover and reducing damaging fires. Field teams and satellite data are intended to track tree-cover gain, fire reduction and carbon outcomes.

Dense evergreen forest with a mix of sunlit yellow-green canopies and darker shadows, a few light-brown dead trees scattered among lush treetops.

SDG 15: Life on Land

Restoring Miombo woodland and farm-tree systems. Agroforestry, assisted natural regeneration and fire prevention address both farms and surrounding Miombo woodland.

A person bent over in a field tending young green plants, with a patterned dress and a cloth wrapped around their back, other workers and palm trees in the blurred background.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Connecting communities, developers and carbon buyers. The model links farmer-level action, project finance, digital payment records and corporate carbon buyers.

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Closer to the project.
More confidence in the impact.

The project combines three evidence streams: local field verification, satellite monitoring and farmer-level digital payment records. This allows ecological activity and financial flows to be checked through different systems.

Climate Impact Partners’ technical due diligence covers methodology, stakeholder engagement, land and carbon rights, benefit sharing, ecosystem health, additionality, permanence and monitoring.

Support this project How we ensure quality

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Project details

Project developer: Community Climate Solutions
Market partner: Climate Impact Partners
Methodology: Verra VM0047, version 1.1
Monitoring: Satellite imagery, local field teams and individual digital payment tracking