José García Ríos

Colombian eco-entrepreneur who revived rainforest ecosystems through community-based reforestation

Engineer José García Ríos (b. 1978) pioneered a revolutionary approach to tropical reforestation in Colombia's Amazon region. After witnessing deforestation's impact during his forestry studies at Universidad Nacional de Colombia, he launched Senda Verde Colombia in 2001. His "Forest-as-a-Service" model combines native tree nurseries with economic incentives for local communities. By creating agroforestry cooperatives that integrate cocoa and coffee crops with reforestation efforts, he's restored over 12,000 hectares of rainforest while improving livelihoods. His 2015 TED Talk "Growing Forests, Not Just Trees" has over 2 million views. The Guardian named him one of their "30 Under 30 Changing the World" in 2018. Currently scaling his model in Peru and Brazil through partnerships with Indigenous groups, his work has sequestered an estimated 500,000 tons of CO2.