Ugandan farmers cut down carbon offset trees due to poor harvests and unpaid funds

Farmers participating in Uganda's Trees for Global Benefits project, which has issued over 7.5 million Plan Vivo-certified carbon credits since 2003, are reportedly cutting down trees planted for carbon offsetting. The farmers cite reduced food harvests due to tree growth and non-receipt of promised payments as reasons for felling the trees, some of which are converted to charcoal. DanChurchAid, a Danish NGO, invested 8 million kroner (US$1.2 million) in the project to facilitate carbon offsetting agreements for Danish companies. This development raises concerns about the long-term integrity and social impact of carbon credit generation from such projects.