Diego Velasco

Peruvian social entrepreneur combating deforestation through agroforestry

Diego Velasco (b. 1982) is a visionary Peruvian ecologist who created the Agroandes Foundation, a network of 120 agroforestry cooperatives restoring 150,000+ hectares of Amazon rainforest. His 2005 'Cocoa for Conservation' program combines sustainable chocolate production with biodiversity protection, generating $12 million annual revenue for indigenous communities.

As inventor of the 《Agroforestry Revolution》 methodology, Velasco's system integrates native tree species with cash crops, increasing farmer incomes by 300% while reducing deforestation rates by 65% in project areas. His 2014 documentary 《Roots of the Andes》 won an Emmy for environmental storytelling.

Leading the UN SDGs initiative in Peru, Velasco's 2018 'Carbon Credit Forests' program enables global companies to offset emissions through reforestation investments. His partnership with Nespresso created the world's first carbon-negative coffee supply chain, featured in their sustainability report. With 15,000 trained farmers and 3 million trees planted annually, Velasco's work has been recognized by the World Wildlife Fund and the Clinton Global Initiative.