Addressing the Local Challenges of Climate Change

Terraso, a social enterprise launched by Tech Matters, emerged as one of the top picks of the FCF Scouting project conducted in the first half of 2023 – qualifying for 3-year Core Support. This choice was based on our meticulously crafted strategy, which defines key criteria such as Technology, Scalability, Africa (SSA), and alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4, 13 and 16. These elements were seamlessly integrated through the lens of Social Entrepreneurship (the “HOW”), all underpinned by a clear dedication to FCF’s overarching “WHY” (founders’ rationale).

Tech Matters, a tech-for-good nonprofit organization focused on bringing the power of tech to social change leaders, announced in May 2023 the launch of Terraso™, an open-source platform designed to provide community leaders with software tools to address the effects of climate change and sustainability at the local level. “Empowering people involved in conservation efforts, regenerative agriculture, land and community restoration, and working to help a landscape thrive in an environmentally and economically sustainable way.” 

WHY? Combat Climate Change

Terraso is building a sustainable future with local landscape leaders by channeling to them the needed tools, data, and funding to enable effective regional responses to the climate crisis.

HOW? Enabling Local Expertise

Empowering local landscape leaders, conservationists, environmental NGO members, indigenous people, small landholders, farmers and ranchers with the missing resources they need to be more successful from both a climate and sustainable economic standpoint. Terraso enables local leaders to collect, store, manage, and share data, as well as to present that data through maps and visualization tools to inspire change.

These storytelling tools help local communities make the case to funding sources, educate consumers regarding the value of sustainably produced products, and alert the world to the good things – or bad things – happening in the landscape. By addressing local adaptation in the face of the climate crisis, Terraso will become a crucial piece of the infrastructure enabling effective responses. Terraso believes that shifting tools, funding, and power to local community leaders will lead to better outcomes – not only at the local level, but also in response to the global climate emergency.

WHAT? Providing the tools you need to build the landscape you want

Terraso is a set of software applications and services that provides the resources needed to successfully plan, fund, and communicate work and goals that benefit people and the planet. It is an open-source technology platform that helps local leaders practice Integrated Landscape Management (ILM). Terraso provides these leaders with tools to advance multi-stakeholder partnerships, build a shared understanding of the challenges and features of a landscape, plan for action, and measure their success.

#This is Terraso (youtube.com)

It’s being developed as the tech component of an unprecedented global collaboration called 1000 Landscapes for 1 Billion People (1000L), which includes Rainforest Alliance, Conservation International and UNDP to help local communities better plan and finance sustainable economies. The goal for the 1000L initiative is to accelerate landscape efforts to sustain and restore ecosystems and to reach 1000 landscapes where 1 billion people live by 2030. Terraso uses the term “landscape” to describe a place defined by ecosystem boundaries (a watershed, a forest) and/or political boundaries (province, state, county). It includes the full range of human and natural activities. By partnering with 1000L, and numerous tech and data providers, Terraso will have an outsized impact enabling effective regional responses to the climate crisis, particularly for smallholders.