Key Takeaways
- BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group (BTG Pactual TIG) has closed fundraising for its Latin American Reforestation Strategy at US$1.24 billion in commitments, making it the largest reforestation and restoration fund closed to date.
- The strategy, advised by Conservation International, targets the conservation, restoration, and reforestation of approximately 660,000 acres of degraded landscapes in Latin America, with a focus on Brazil’s Cerrado — one of the world’s most biodiverse and threatened ecosystems.
- Nearly 29 million trees have been planted across more than 64,000 acres in Brazil; over 53,000 acres are under conservation and more than 50,000 acres are under active native vegetation restoration as of the close date.
- In April 2026, the strategy’s first carbon project, Brazil Cerrado 1, became the first globally to be issued credits under Verra’s afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation methodology VM0047, approved under the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market’s Core Carbon Principles framework.
- A coalition of 18 global investors participated in the strategy, including BNDES, IFC, CAF, DEG, FMO, New Zealand Superannuation Fund, Vale S.A., GenZero, NGS Super, and Tokio Marine, among others. The strategy is expected to support approximately 2,700 direct and indirect full-time equivalent jobs at full deployment.
BTG Pactual TIG Closes $1.24 Billion Latin American Reforestation Fund
BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group (BTG Pactual TIG), one of the world’s largest timberland managers, announced on April 29, 2026 the close of fundraising for its Latin American Reforestation Strategy at US$1.24 billion in commitments. The total represents the largest reforestation and restoration fund closed to date, offering a model for large-scale landscape recovery that blends commercial forestry with science-based native ecosystem restoration.
Global environmental organization Conservation International serves as Impact Adviser to the strategy. Together, BTG Pactual TIG and Conservation International are advancing an approach designed to conserve, restore, and reforest approximately 660,000 acres of degraded landscapes in Latin America — protecting and restoring roughly 330,000 acres of native forests and habitats while establishing approximately 330,000 additional acres of sustainably managed commercial tree farms certified to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards.
A broad coalition of 18 institutional investors participated, including development finance institutions BNDES (up to R$300 million / ~US$55 million), IFC — International Finance Corporation, CAF — Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, DEG, and FMO. Other investors include GenZero, New Zealand Superannuation Fund, NGS Super, Vale S.A., Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Hempel Foundation, Impact Fund Denmark, and Green Spark Ventures, among others.
“We designed this strategy to demonstrate that restoration at landscape scales can deliver both environmentally and commercially,” said Gerrity Lansing, Head of BTG Pactual TIG. “We are grateful to our investors and partners for their trust as we continue advancing a model that we believe can help shape the future of sustainable commercial forestry and large-scale ecosystem restoration.”
On-the-Ground Progress: 29 Million Trees Planted, 53,000 Acres Under Conservation
As of the fund close, the strategy has delivered measurable results in the field. Nearly 29 million trees have been planted on more than 64,000 acres of degraded land in Brazil, and 100% of the strategy’s forests are FSC-certified or in the process of certification as of 2025. Over 53,000 acres are under active conservation, and native vegetation restoration has been initiated on more than 50,000 acres. The restoration corridor is designed to connect more than 100,000 acres of natural habitat — an area approximately one-third the size of the city of Rio de Janeiro.
More than 1,000 species of plants and animals have been identified across the strategy to date. Over 400 miles of streams are under enhanced protection, and riparian buffer zones have been expanded up to 1,300 feet — nearly seven times the local legal requirement. The strategy also supported 518 full-time equivalent jobs in 2025, with a target of approximately 2,700 direct and indirect FTE positions at full deployment.
“With over 50,000 acres already under restoration, our collaboration with Conservation International is delivering tangible outcomes that demonstrate the strategy’s potential for broad applicability,” said Mark Wishnie, Chief Sustainability Officer at BTG Pactual TIG. “The strategy demonstrates how sustainable production can provide an enduring economic engine to power climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and rural economies.”
BTG Pactual TIG Issues First Carbon Credits Under Verra’s VM0047 Methodology
In April 2026, the strategy’s first carbon project, Brazil Cerrado 1, became the first project globally to be issued credits under Verra’s afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation methodology VM0047. The methodology is among those approved by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) under its Core Carbon Principles assessment framework, the global benchmark for carbon credit quality and integrity. BTG Pactual TIG had previously finalized two landmark nature-based carbon removal credit agreements in June and September 2024, which were among the largest on record at the time of their announcement.
Science-Based Research Advances Best Practice for Cerrado Restoration
A long-term collaboration with the Forest Restoration Laboratory at the Federal University of Viçosa in Minas Gerais, Brazil is testing and comparing the effectiveness of direct seeding, native seedling planting, and natural regeneration techniques through a 200-acre field experiment — described as one of the largest restoration experiments ever conducted in the Cerrado. Initial findings show strong site occupancy, seedling growth, and natural regeneration across treatment plots. Insights from the research are intended to inform best practice for Cerrado restoration and help reduce costs over time.
