PCI Western Mato Grosso

Launched in May 2023, this initiative focuses on soy and cattle supply chains to promote deforestation- and conversion-free production to support the transition of Western Mato Grosso towards a forest-positive and resilient landscape, delivering tangible benefits for people, nature and climate aligned with the PCI Strategy. It leverages climate finance - especially through carbon credit mechanisms - to support sustainable agriculture across the Cerrado and Amazon biomes.

Western Mato Grosso Initiative website

Context

Covering around 5 million hectares across six major soy-producing municipalities (Tangará da Serra, Alto Paraguai, Campos de Julio, Campo Novo dos Parecis, Sapezal, Diamantino), the initiative safeguards 3 million hectares of native vegetation, of which 304,000 ha could otherwise be legally cleared. Mato Grosso is Brazil’s top grain and beef-producing state, with high deforestation pressures, producing 5 million tons of soybeans per year, which represented 4.3% of total Brazilian production in 2022 - making this landscape critical for aligning agricultural expansion with ecosystem conservation.

Activities & Proforest’s role

Proforest works alongside the PCI Institute, IPAM, and Produzindo Certo to:

• Facilitate inclusive territorial governance, helping design frameworks, baselines, MRV systems, social safeguards and long-term finance strategies.
• Expand and drive sustainable commodity production and support climate-smart agriculture, technical assistance, compliance with the Forest Code, and digital production monitoring tools (e.g., the “Eu Produzo Certo” app).
• Maximise forest conservation through a smart-mix of incentives needed to cover the opportunity cost and secure long-term voluntary conservation, including Payment for Ecosystem Services  and Legal Reserve Compensation( Conserv Programme)
• Boost restoration and enable productive restoration and infrastructure to support smallholders and entrepreneurship

Objectives

The initiative seeks to achieve deforestation- and conversion-free production while enhancing yields and farmer incomes. It aims to conserve native vegetation, restore degraded areas, and institutionalise climate-smart agricultural practices - all underpinned by robust local multi-stakeholder governance and carbon finance mechanisms.

Results & achievements

GOVERNANCE

• Defined shared 2030 landscape targets and baseline metrics via the Sustainable Landscapes Partnership 
• Engaged key stakeholders across municipal and state levels, setting up governance and MRV arrangements
• 6 local governance groups created with long-term goals with MoUs signed
• Strategy for Climate Financing developed

PRODUCE

• 80 soy properties (160,000ha) in compliance with the Forest Code
• 10 properties (15,000 hectares of soy) RTRS certified

CONSERV

• Mapping of forest assets and restoration needs
• 3 municipal restoration plans
• 4,100 ha under incentives for conservation (Converv, PES)
• Review of municipal PES law

INCLUDE

• 2 Municipal Smallholders and Indigenous Agriculture Plans developed
• Social safeguards implemented for all interventions
• 140 ha of productive restoration with smallholders
• 1 nursery implemented

Donors, partners & funding

Implementing partners include the PCI Institute, IPAM, Produzindo Certo and Proforest.The initiative was funded by Nestlé, Sainsbury´s and Jeronimo Martins (Jun-2023 – Jun 2024), the Land Innovation Fund  (May 2023–May 2025), SCF (Jul-2023 – Jul 2026) and fundraising continues for 2026-2030. Another key partner is the CGF-WBCSD Sustainable Landscapes Partnership. 

External links

Climate-smart and sustainable landscapes in Western Mato Grosso — Land Innovation Fund

Case study via SourceUp: Leveraging carbon instruments for financial sustainability in a soy landscape initiative

A JURISDICTIONAL APPROACH - Western Mato Grosso is the largest initiative landing the Produce, Conserve Include strategy in Mato Grosso state -  Estratégia PCI - PCI

A SUPPLY CHAIN INITIATIVE - Western Mato Grosso is a proof of concept for the Sustainable Landscapes Partnership, a Cerrado collaboration between soy traders and soy buyers - https://www.wbcsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/SCF-CGF-Publication.pdf

A GLOBAL LANDSCAPE FRAMEWORK - Western Mato Grosso is implementing the blueprint for mature landscape initiatives, a network alignment of global landscape implementers - https://www.isealalliance.org/get-involved/resources/core-criteria-mature-landscape-initiatives-2024