CO₂ Operate BV builds cooperative partnerships. Before the start of the program in 2009, CO₂ Operate BV conducted stakeholder analyses to assess potential impacts caused by stakeholders or stakeholders being possibly affected by the project in West Sumatra. As a result an equal cross-section of the local society are influenced by and/or influencing the carbon program. Peoples ideas, desires and knowledge are taken into account and acted upon. So local villagers, local government and knowledge institutions, all fulfil an important role in the success and sustainability of the program. Good relationships have been constructed with the leader of the Nagari (wali nagari), Adat Council and the clans and people that form the farmer groups (kelompok tani). Coordination and management therefore includes some of the most crucial stakeholders/partners. These stakeholders/ partners work together to provide the coordination and implementation of the ecosystem restoration. The influence ranges from funding through to manpower and knowledge. This provides the base understanding to enable the program activities. The proof of concept for ecosystem restoration using ANR was developed some years ago by CO₂ Operate BV and partners. This shows that ecosystem restoration can combine poverty reduction with mitigating climate change whilst increasing biodiversity. The knowledge and experience of working in the local context, not only at grass-root level, but also scientifically, means CO₂ Operate BV and its staff are well positioned as a lead partner.

We have partnered with biometrio.earth, a biodiversity analytics company, to conduct a multi-year, 24/7 biodiversity impact study on our sites. Data from acoustic monitoring, wildlife cameras, and remote sensing will be integrated and analyzed using AI to assess our biodiversity impact.

For more than seven years, the Indonesian staff of the NGO RPL has worked together in the field with CO2Operate BV. The staff being entirely made up from local or regional people, coming from the Nagari itself or nearby Minangkabau regions of West Sumatra. The NGO has been very active in the socialisation processes, including FPIC exercises, managing and monitoring the tree planting and tree growth. They make essential expertise readily available in relation to community development, negotiations under FPIC exercises, and the implementation of capacity building programs related to ecosystem restoration using ANR.

The Gula Gula Food Forest Program collaborates well with local government institutions, including the Bupati office. The BKSDA (nature conservation office) recently supported the program by providing free seedlings, helping farmers plant more trees. With monitored farmer groups and tree survival rates, BKSDA sees the benefits of this partnership, ensuring better outcomes for distributed seedlings.

The Provincial Forestry Department has supported the Gula Gula food forest program from the start, ensuring alignment with local policies. Their expertise in forest boundaries, land use, and community engagement strengthens the project’s sustainability. Extension officers assist in FPIC activities, advising on tree species, markets, and nurseries. They provide certified seeds at subsidized rates, ensuring high-quality, non-invasive trees that enhance ecology and livelihoods.

West Sumatra, is the oldest university outside Java Island and Indonesia's fourth oldest university. We collaborate with the Anthropology faculty, where students are involved in the social mapping of new villages to understand the social situation in each village. We also involve them in conducting socio-economic research to monitor our social impact in each village. We also collaborate with staff and students from the Center of Environmental Studies on specific, more technical topics.

We conduct long-term research in our regeneration sites on potential soil changes (mainly changes in carbon stock and water infiltration) and changes in belowground agrobiodiversity (focussing on earthworms density) in our restoration sites together with staff and students from the Soil Science Dept. and Research Group of Tropical Agroforestry, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, East Java. This faculty has a strong focus on agroforestry.

Our local partner RPL has signed a multi-year collaboration with this government ministry (MoU). This ministry is tasked with assisting the President in developing rural and disadvantaged areas in Indonesia. Through its community development, it should help to speed up the development of areas such as our new area in South Sumatra (Lampung province). Their fieldwork is combined with our carbon work, joining efforts to make a wider impact in areas, that are left behind by policy makers.

BPDAS is a technical implementation unit (UPT) under the Directorate General of Watershed Management and Forest Rehabilitation. It manages watersheds and forest rehabilitation across Indonesia. In West Sumatra, we collaborate with BPDAS Agam Kuantan, a large nursery providing free seedlings to support our farmers. They focus on forestry species that regulate water, mainly timber, cinnamon, and some fruit trees. This partnership helps meet some of our seedling needs.