Volkswagen ClimatePartner takes seriously the concerns raised in the report published by the Maasai International Solidarity Alliance (MISA) in March 2025 regarding soil carbon credit projects in Northern Tanzania. We deeply respect the history, resilience, and challenges of the Maasai people. Our involvement in the Longido and Monduli Rangelands Carbon Project (LMRCP), implemented by our project partners Soils for the Future Tanzania (SftFTZ, the project implementing entity) and CarbonSolve LLC, is grounded in a commitment to improving rangeland health, supporting Maasai livelihoods, and promoting climate resilience through carbon finance. The project is designed to balance traditional pastoralist land use with sustainable land management while ensuring that Maasai communities retain full control over their land and benefit from participation. In the following section, we would like to clarify several key points in response to the claims made in the MISA report:

Land Ownership and Rights

• SftFTZ does not acquire or control any land within the project area. All land titles remain entirely under the ownership of the Maasai villages, in accordance with Tanzanian law.
• The project does not involve land sales, leases, encumbrances or transfers to foreign entities.
• Maasai communities will continue to exercise full rights over their land and maintain their traditional grazing practices.

Contract Duration and Flexibility

• There is a scientific consensus that soil restoration takes time. The 40-year duration of the project contracts is needed to support the reality that degraded grasslands, such as those in Northern Tanzania, can take several decades to recover.
• This long-term commitment ensures sustainable land regeneration and stable economic benefits for communities. Importantly, contracts include exit clauses, allowing villages to review, renegotiate, or withdraw from the agreement where they choose to do so…

A full statement from Volkswagen is attached