ABSTRACT
As REDD+ and “REDD-ready” voluntary carbon offset projects are implemented in Malawi, they encounter cultural and geographic particularities that create new equity concerns and exacerbate existing tensions surrounding forest access and land use in and around the project area. These concerns span the entire process of carbon offset production, including the social components of REDD+ projects and the technical activities necessary for project validation. The case studies that follow demonstrate the importance of considering the impacts of the social programs planned as part of a project as well as the technical activities that precede carbon sales.
