●●○ medium
There is no confirmed −; independently verified + decide the position (A). No unreachable strike-through.= non-additive meter
Instituto Terra: Restoring a ruined cattle ranch into Atlantic Forest. The Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica) holds some of the world's richest biodiversity and is also the most destroyed biome, with only about 12% of old-growth remaining. In the Rio Doce basin, the Salgado family ranch in Aimorés had been depleted by decades of grazing — soil thinned, eroded red, the songs of birds and scent of flowers gone. Returning home, photographer Sebastião Salgado and his wife Lélia Deluiz Wanick Salgado founded Instituto Terra in 1998 and, from 1999 — using only native species and relying on local seed collection and natural succession — began replanting. In just over 25 years they planted millions of native trees (2–4 million, over 290–350 species), expanded protected land from about 700 to 2,400 ha (a private natural-heritage reserve, RPPN), and built one of Brazil's foremost native nurseries (on the order of a million seedlings a year) to supply planting and spring protection across the basin. Over 2,000 springs revived, and flora and fauna returned. It also runs environmental education and agroforestry with local farmers. The letter is A; certainty is medium. Unconfirmed concerns are placed under “Watching.” (As of 2026-Q2; estimate based on public information.)
Main narrative
The Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica) holds some of the world's richest biodiversity and is also the most destroyed biome, with only about 12% of old-growth remaining. In the Rio Doce basin, the Salgado family ranch in Aimorés had been depleted by decades of grazing — soil thinned, eroded red, the songs of birds and scent of flowers gone.
Returning home, photographer Sebastião Salgado and his wife Lélia Deluiz Wanick Salgado founded Instituto Terra in 1998 and, from 1999 — using only native species and relying on local seed collection and natural succession — began replanting. In just over 25 years they planted millions of native trees (2–4 million, over 290–350 species), expanded protected land from about 700 to 2,400 ha (a private natural-heritage reserve, RPPN), and built one of Brazil's foremost native nurseries (on the order of a million seedlings a year) to supply planting and spring protection across the basin. Over 2,000 springs revived, and flora and fauna returned. It also runs environmental education and agroforestry with local farmers.
One person’s story (N1)
+ before → after
In 1998 the Bulcão farm was a barren land where cracked red soil showed the veins of erosion. Trees, the sweet scent of flowers, the songs of birds — all gone. A quarter-century later, the same slopes are a forest where over 290 native tree species form a canopy. Springs that had dried flow again, and animals return. That people can recover with their hands what people destroyed is attested by this very land.
Source nature: Society for Ecological Restoration (Restoration Resource Center) / P1 academic/restoration body. Positive effects are not used to offset negatives.
Positive / negative effects
+ effects
- The U.S. Society for Ecological Restoration records its restoration area and tree count as a case, and Europe's King Baudouin Foundation supports and records “over 4 million trees planted, protected land expanded from 700 to 2,400 ha.” The ecosystem-restoration platform Restor also records the recovery of over 2,000 springs. Founder Salgado is an internationally renowned photographer, and the work has been introduced worldwide through documentaries and more.P1 academic/foundation / King Baudouin Foundation / Restor
− effects (confirmed)
- No confirmed −.
- Long-term independent verification of seedling survival/community maturity; ripple effects to the whole basin; the take-up of agroforestry with local farmers
A second look
The number of trees planted ranges from 2 to 4 million by source and time, with many figures originating from the institute. Ecosystem “restoration” needs long-term independent verification of biodiversity and hydrological recovery, and continuous tracking of seedling survival rates and community maturity is a point. Ripple effects to the whole basin (300,000 springs) lie ahead.
Sources
How to read this assessment
- Reachable upper bound (ceiling): a confirmed − sets the ceiling, and independently verified + decide the position within it. + do not cancel out −.
- The weight of evidence is not symmetric: only confirmed − are counted; the volume of disputes or allegations goes under “Watching.” + are counted from independent evidence, while an organization’s own PR is treated as “reference.”
- Size is not value: scale is not used in the assessment. Matters that stay within money or competition—investors, shareholders, sanctions, trade secrets—are also excluded.
- The letter (assessment) and certainty (how reliable the information is) are separate axes.
This is a translation; the Japanese version is authoritative. The assessments here are generated automatically by AI based on published criteria. The operator does not alter individual results. Because they are AI-generated they may contain errors, and they are opinion and commentary, not statements of fact. Where evidence is insufficient, the entry is marked “On hold.” Requests for correction are accepted via the form.
Terms: Narrative Value = an assessment (A–G) of the distance between the story an organization tells and its reality / Ceiling meter = a visualization of the reachable upper bound / Watching = unconfirmed matters not counted / Protected stakeholders = people, animals, nature, and future generations. | Generated by: AI | As of: 2026-Q2 | Back to top