By Staff Writer, Global AgInvesting Media

A milestone for natural capital investing, the BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group (BTG) has officially closed fundraising for its Latin American Reforestation Strategy, securing a record $1.24 billion in commitments. The announcement, made late April 2026, solidifies the initiative as the largest-known reforestation and restoration fund closed to date.

The capital will fund an ambitious dual-purpose model designed to prove that massive environmental restoration can align with strong commercial forestry performance. Over its lifecycle, the strategy aims to conserve, restore, and reforest approximately 660,000 acres of degraded landscapes across Latin America. Half of this footprint — approximately 330,000 acres — will be dedicated to the protection and restoration of native forests and natural habitats. The remaining 330,000 acres will be utilized to establish sustainable, Forest Stewardship Council-certified commercial tree plantations.

By the Numbers

• $1.24 Billion (USD): The total capital raised, establishing this as the largest reforestation and restoration fund closed to date.
• 660,000 Acres: The total target footprint of degraded land across Latin America earmarked for conservation, restoration, and sustainable forestry.
• 50/50 Dual-Purpose Model: The exact operational split of the target acreage:
  • 330,000 Acres: Dedicated entirely to protecting and restoring native forests and natural habitats.
  • 330,000 Acres: Used for sustainable, FSC-certified commercial tree plantations.
• 53,000+ Acres: The area already secured and actively placed under conservation to date.
• 50,000+ Acres: The land area where native vegetation restoration operations have already commenced.
• 100,000 Acres: The target size of the continuous ecological corridors being created — roughly equivalent to one-third the size of Rio de Janeiro.
• 1,000+ Species: The number of unique plant and animal species already identified on-site through ecological monitoring.

A Coalition of Global Institutional Capital

The fundraising success reflects growing institutional appetite for nature-based solutions. A diverse coalition of prominent global investors backed the strategy, including the International Finance Corporation (IFC); GenZero; FMO, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank, DEG, the German development finance institution; and BNDES, the Brazilian Development Bank. Other notable participants include Azarine, CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, Green Spark Ventures, the Hempel Foundation, Impact Fund Denmark, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, and the UK-and-Dutch-funded Mobilising Finance for Forests program.

Importantly, all operations under the strategy will adhere strictly to the IFC Performance Standards, ensuring rigorous environmental and social safeguards.

On-the-Ground Conservation Progress

Rather than starting from scratch, BTG has already begun implementing its strategy in priority ecological corridors. To date, more than 53,000 acres are actively under conservation, and native vegetation restoration has commenced on over 50,000 acres. This ongoing restoration effort is designed to connect more than 100,000 acres of natural habitat — equivalent to roughly one-third the geographic size of Rio de Janeiro.

Ecological monitoring has already identified upwards of 1,000 plant and animal species within the project areas. Furthermore, the strategy has placed over 400 miles of streams under enhanced protections, expanding riparian buffer zones up to 1,300 feet. This buffer size is nearly seven times the local legal requirement, substantially bolstering watershed health and constructing vital wildlife corridors.

Community and Scientific Integration

To maximize social impact, BTG is collaborating with local organizations and the Mato Grosso do Sul Native Seed Network. A specialized training program has already certified 26 new native seed collectors, successfully gathering 5.6 tons of native seeds to generate local, sustainable income.

The strategy also features a strong focus on scientific evaluation. BTG is collaborating with the Forest Restoration Laboratory at the Federal University of Viçosa in Minas Gerais, Brazil, to run comparative tests on different restoration methods, generating open-source science to benefit future global restoration initiatives.

Global environmental nonprofit Conservation International is serving as the strategy’s Impact Adviser, ensuring that climate, biodiversity, and community goals are rigorously measured. Simultaneously, the strategy is structured to generate millions of high-integrity carbon removal credits. BTG previously completed two of the largest-ever nature-based carbon removal transactions in 2024, setting a high standard for the voluntary carbon market as this newly funded strategy scales up.

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