Alternative Response Options for Mitigation & Adaptation of Coffee Farms (AROMA) Program

Conservation International (CI) has engaged Asesoramiento Ambiental Estratégico (AAE) to support the development of a Green Climate Fund (GCF) funding proposal under the AROMA initiative: Adaptation & Resilience through Outcomes-based Management in Agriculture. This ambitious regional project seeks to strengthen the climate resilience of coffee-producing landscapes and communities across Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Uganda, while curbing the maladaptive geographic expansion of coffee production and reducing associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

AROMA aims to:

• Increase the climate resilience of smallholder coffee farmers and farming systems
• Enable entire landscapes to adapt to climate risks
• Prevent unsustainable expansion of coffee cultivation into high-carbon or high-biodiversity areas
• Lay the foundation for future private sector engagement in climate-resilient and low-carbon coffee supply chains through platforms such as the Sustainable Coffee Challenge

AAE is coordinating technical support across the four countries, mobilizing over 30 experts across four national teams (one per country) and an experienced international team covering safeguards, gender, economics, policy, M&E, and more. The team is working closely with CI, Executive Entities, national stakeholders, and government institutions to deliver high-quality inputs throughout the proposal design process.

The project includes:

• 14+ field missions and over 40 community consultations to engage local stakeholders and assess environmental and social contexts
• A comprehensive safeguards package, including Environmental and Social Management Frameworks (ESMF), Stakeholder Engagement Plans, Gender Action Plans, and Indigenous Peoples Plans
• In-depth site selection and climate vulnerability assessments
• Alignment with national adaptation and development priorities, including NDCs and NAPs

This initiative offers a unique opportunity to align climate adaptation goals with sustainable coffee supply chains and equitable rural development, while contributing to global biodiversity and climate mitigation targets.

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