On International Mangrove Conservation Day, the Grupo Argos Foundation announces that it will conclude the year by planting 400,000 mangrove seedlings in three departments of the country.

• The plantings have been underway for two months in the departments of Atlántico, Bolívar, and Sucre and will be crucial for the restoration of approximately 70 hectares of mangrove.
• These 400,000 red and black mangrove seedlings add to the 452,000 seedlings that have been planted by the Grupo Argos Foundation since 2019, enabling the recovery of over 70 hectares of this ecosystem.
• The plantings are carried out under the framework of the Sembrando Futuro (Sowing Future) program of the Grupo Argos Foundation and aim to contribute to the conservation and restoration of mangroves, enhance fishing processes in the area, and improve the quality of life for communities by generating over 400 direct and indirect jobs, as well as creating coastal buffer zones.
• In the department of Atlántico, notable initiatives are also led by Grupo Argos’s Urban Development Business in collaboration with organizations such as Conservation International, the Institute of Marine and Coastal Research José Benito Vives de Andréis (INVEMAR), and the Universidad del Norte. These initiatives have enabled the planting of 50,000 red mangrove individuals in the Mallorquín Marsh.

With the planting of these 400,000 new red and black mangrove seedlings in the departments of Atlántico, Bolívar, and Sucre, the Grupo Argos Foundation will reach a record number of over 852,000 seedlings planted in the last four years. These efforts have enabled the active restoration of approximately 140 hectares of this ecosystem on the Caribbean coast of the country. The plantings, which have been carried out with the support of communities and environmental organizations, will conclude by the end of the year and will enhance fishing processes and create new coastal buffer areas contributing to blue carbon sequestration.

This project also includes environmental education processes involving more than 2,548 students and 93 teachers from the region. Additionally, it involves strengthening five community nurseries, providing communities with an alternative source of additional income.

“At the Grupo Argos Foundation, we have a genuine commitment to mitigating the effects of climate change. Therefore, we see mangrove planting as an opportunity to improve the quality of life for coastal communities in the country and promote conservation efforts for a strategic ecosystem that benefits the health of the oceans. Our goal is to plant 3.2 million mangrove trees by 2030.”
María Camila Villegas – Grupo Argos Foundation Executive Director

These plantings, carried out within the framework of the Sembrando Futuro program, complement the efforts made by Grupo Argos’s Urban Development Business in collaboration with Conservation International, the Institute of Marine and Coastal Research José Benito Vives de Andréis (INVEMAR), and the Universidad del Norte. These efforts have enabled the planting of an additional 50,000 red mangrove individuals in the Mallorquín Marsh in the department of Atlántico.

With this project, the Grupo Argos Foundation continues to establish itself as one of the most important vehicles for social investment in the country, with the capacity to lead high-impact projects with social and environmental benefits. To date, the Foundation’s investment in this program amounts to more than COP 3 billion.

About the mangrove ecosystem
As for the mangrove ecosystem, it has the ability to store up to 10 times more carbon than an equivalent area of terrestrial forest, making it a crucial natural barrier against the occurrence of tsunamis and other natural phenomena. Likewise, it plays a direct role in enhancing the quality of life for coastal communities due to its capacity to improve fishing processes.