Scolel Té (which means "growing trees" in Tzeltal and Tojolobal) is a forestry and land-use project in Chiapas, Mexico, that is assisting farmers primarily in nine Mayan indigenous communities with developing small agroforestry and forestry enterprises. The objective of the project is to promote carbon sequestration and sustainable farming practices by providing local farmers with technical assistance and financial incentives to shift from agriculture to agroforestry, convert pastures to plantations, restore degraded forest, and better manage natural forest. The carbon benefits generated by these enterprises are expected to range from a minimum of 55,000 tonnes of CO2 (15,000 t C) up to 1.21 million t CO2 (330,000 t C), depending on funding. In addition, this project is expected to contribute to the social and economic welfare of these communities as well as the preservation of the region's rich biodiversity.
