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Chaib et al. Carbon Footprints 2026, 5, 23 Page 19 of 23

increasingly articulated by the ICVCM while explicitly incorporating social equity considerations. However,
the results also show that the estimated carbon revenues, while relevant, are insufficient on their own to fully
address the identified livelihood constraints, reinforcing their role as a complementary mechanism rather
than a standalone solution.

Taken together, the Curiaú results indicate that maintaining forest conservation emerges as a central priority
for payment for environmental services such as carbon credits, while the allocation of resulting revenues can
directly reflect the key constraints identified at the community level. In this case, this includes directing
support toward the recovery, resilience, and improved management of already converted agricultural areas,
alongside strengthening adaptive capacity through the adoption of regenerative agricultural practices
consistent with the constraints identified by the vulnerability assessment.

DECLARATIONS

Acknowledgments
We gratefully acknowledge the Quilombola community of Curiaú for their engagement in the survey and for
their openness and collaboration, which were essential to the development of this study.

Authors’ contributions
Conceptual development and study design: Chaib, J.; Davies, M.; Wang, H.
Writing of the original draft and overall supervision: Chaib, J.; Wang, H.
Data collection and data analysis: Pinheiro, C.; Smith, G.; Chaib, J.
Reviewed, edited and approved the final manuscript: Chaib, J.; Corsini, C.; Davies, M.; Smith, G.;
Pinheiro, C.; Centeno, D.; Ratsimbazafy, N.; Feldmann, R.; Wang, H.

Availability of data and materials
The datasets used and/or analyzed in the current study are available from the corresponding author upon
reasonable request.

AI and AI-assisted tools statement
Not applicable.

Financial support and sponsorship
None.

Conflicts of interest
Smith, G. is affiliated with ReSeed P.B.C., Public Benefit Corporation, while the other authors have declared
that they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval and consent to participate
This study involved human participants through household-level survey questionnaires. Participation was
voluntary, and informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to data collection. No personal
identifiers were recorded, and responses were anonymized before analysis. The research did not involve
clinical procedures, biological sampling, or interventions.

Consent for publication
Not applicable.

Copyright
© The Author(s) 2026.

Supplementary Materials
Supplementary Materials