Scaling reforestation across Latin America and the Caribbean is fundamentally an investment challenge, not a tree-planting one. This new World Bank report – drawing on technical analysis by Unique land use – sets out how to structure reforestation so that it becomes bankable, scalable and durable, and how to unlock private capital at the scale the region's restoration ambitions require.

Governments across the region have pledged to restore some 52 million hectares of forest, yet the missing ingredient is not intent but the right mix of investable business models, enabling policy and targeted finance. The report shows that carbon markets alone remain insufficient, and that bankable models emerge when long-term offtake agreements, blended finance and diversified revenue streams come together – with diversified agroforestry approaches balancing climate mitigation and rural job creation most effectively.

The report was produced under the World Bank's PROGREEN partnership and draws on technical analysis by Unique land use and Sitawi; the cover photograph was taken by Unique in Paraguay.