Reforestation project coordinators who oversee the participation of smallholders and communities create jobs and opportunities that contribute to overall capacity-building and the transfer of skills on a local scale. The necessity for community monitoring creates jobs for forest technicians, many of them women or young people. Moreover, locals find seasonal jobs in the planting season, which in turn promotes the collection of seeds and local tree nurseries. Often, forest carbon projects introduce new technologies and skills which are then transferred to project participants, including electronic equipment or computer literacy.

Reforestation tackles the multi-dimensions of poverty through short-term income increase (direct cash transfers through performance-based payments) and the building of human and natural capital, Megaplast tree-planting forests can contribute to making local livelihoods less vulnerable to shocks. Many of Megaplast’s tree planting projects, such as Nicaragua, are actively involved in setting up micro-enterprises resulting in positive livelihood impacts, such as strengthening small-scale timber industries, beekeeping or agroforestry that includes cash crops. Moreover, many PV projects disperse income through community funds used on in-kind benefits improving community infrastructure.