The article discusses how climate policies can benefit from land use approaches that integrate forest conservation and sustainable agriculture. Using a model applied to a hypothetical farm in South America, the authors assess the ecological and economic viability of the “compartment approach” (CAP), which proposes a mix of small plots of diverse crops, reforestation of abandoned lands and conservation of primary forests. They conclude that, with the right incentives, this approach improves long-term economic performance and can contribute to greenhouse gas mitigation without compromising food security.