Investing in forests and sustainable land use |
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African Forestry Impact Platform to invest $500 million in sustainable forestry
P4F is supporting the newly launched African Forestry Impact Platform (AFIP) to invest up to $500 million in scaling sustainable forestry projects that deliver climate, community, and biodiversity benefits in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Headed by New Forests, along with its investment partners British International Investment (BII), Norfund, and Finnfund, the AFIP recently announced initial commitments of $200 million into the fund. The Platform also made its first acquisition: Green Resources, East Africa’s largest forest development and wood processing company.
P4F’s technical support will help identify and develop business models around target investments to demonstrate a different model of working with plantations. These will provide tangible returns to investors and deliver social and environmental value to smallholders and other landscape stakeholders.
Read more >
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PPBio mobilises more than £5 million in investment for Amazonian bio-businesses
The Bioeconomy Priority Program (PPBio) in Brazil is celebrating its three-year anniversary with an investment milestone. Since 2019, the P4F-supported initiative has mobilised BRL 30 million (£5.2 million) from 24 companies to support 26 projects from universities, technological institutes, and start-ups – all sharing the potential to become bio-businesses.
PPBio, a federal public policy, mobilises private investments to boost innovations in bio-business in return for tax incentives in the Manaus Free Trade Zone in the state of Amazonas in Northern Brazil. Coordinated by the non-profit Idesam, it requires participating companies – mainly in the IT sector – to commit 5% of sales to Research, Development and Innovation to generate new products, services, and businesses, using Amazon biodiversity.
With more than BRL 1 billion (£166.3 million) available to the programme annually, PBBio aims to double investments by 2024 in areas such as research into bioactive substances and bioinformatics, including blockchain, sensors, and apps.
Read more >
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Supporting policies for nature-based business
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Driving policy change to address deforestation linked to UK supply chains
Our latest case study illustrates the impact of the P4F-supported UK Global Resource Initiative (GRI) in helping drive policy change to address deforestation linked to UK supply chains.
Developed with sustainable commodities experts Efeca, the case study explores how the GRI recommendations helped inform landmark UK due diligence legislation that prohibits larger businesses in the UK from using key forest-risk commodities.
The GRI is a cross-government collaboration between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
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The Africa Sustainable Commodities Initiative takes shape
At COP26, African ministers met to discuss five years of progress on the Marrakesh Declaration, which outlined shared principles for the sustainable development of the region’s oil palm sector. The agreement formed the basis of Africa Palm Oil Initiative (APOI), led by the Tropical Forest Alliance, which P4F has supported via Proforest since 2017.
Recognising that the principles apply across other commodities from the same regions, APOI leaders have put momentum behind building responsible production practices across multiple commodities. Ministers from all 10 APOI countries, who agreed to expand the Declaration at the last climate conference, will meet again this year to sign an expanded declaration that will include cocoa, rubber, palm oil, coffee, and other commodities.
The agreement will form part of the new Africa Sustainable Commodities Initiative (ASCI): a single set of principles for the responsible production of agricultural commodities in Africa; protecting forests, good governance, and transparency, while ensuring social benefits for farmers, communities, marginalised peoples and their human rights.
Abraham Baffoe, Africa and Global Director, Proforest, spoke to Business Insider Africa to share more >
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Championing innovative ideas, technologies, and tools |
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Unlocking Payments for Ecosystems Services to support communities in Borneo
Two projects from P4F’s South East Asia portfolio are proving how smart funding mechanisms can support communities to build sustainable models for forest protection – while also preserving their livelihoods.
Nanga Lauk and Tanjung, two hutan desas (‘Village Forests’ in Indonesian), have both secured agreements for Payments for Ecosystems Services (PES) – which rewards activities like protecting biological diversity and improving water quality. The agreements mobilise funding from large commodity companies with sustainability commitments and last for 25 years.
Both hutan desas have joined this market through two mechanisms devised by Lestari Capital, a Singapore-based impact investment firm, with P4F’s support. Through Rimba Collective and SCCM RSPO Solutions, Lestari Capital connects companies in key commodity supply chains with sustainability commitments to pioneering projects that deliver verifiable forest conservation, ecosystem restoration and community forestry outcomes.
Between both mechanisms, seven companies have invested almost £70 million to protect over 41,000 hectares of forests.
Read more >
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Supporting people through nature-based solutions
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Crafting forest-friendly products from Indonesia's rich food culture
In our latest StoryMap, we meet Delvi, an Education Coordinator and Food Tech Specialist, at Jakarta-based food academy Sekolah Seniman Pangan, who is crafting forest-friendly products that celebrate Indonesia's rich food culture.
Combining her love of art, food, and local products, she has developed more than 300 food products from ingredients sourced from farmers, fishers, and collectors all over Indonesia.
The academy is part of efforts of ethical food company Javara, to connect forest products to international markets and support forest communities, with the support of P4F.
Read her story >
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Becoming the boss: Cocoa agroforestry offers sustainable careers in the Amazon
A new video case study, Sustainable Agroforestry Cocoa in the Amazon, visits cocoa producers in the southeast Brazilian state of Pará, who are restoring degraded forest landscapes with agroforestry systems.
Headed by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) with partners Olam Food Ingredients and Mondelēz International, the Cacau Floresta project has encouraged small farmers to take up the trade to regenerate former pastureland.
P4F is supporting the team to expand activities, including strengthening technical assistance for rural producers, opening access to credit for agroforestry systems, and running gender and youth inclusion activities.
In the film, we meet several producers who are receiving this kind of assistance to improve soils and plant nutrition. They explain how the project has supported them to adopt cocoa agroforestry systems, increase quality, productivity, and their incomes. “Those who invested in cocoa have now become the boss,” says one cocoa producer.
Watch the video here >
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Portfolio summary
Forest Businesses contains a selection of P4F-supported initiatives that represent investable, innovative business models in tropical regions.
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Case study
Read how P4F supported a collaboration that led to ground-breaking policy changes and opened huge potential for forest-focused businesses in Colombia.
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Video
Follow the stories of forest entrepreneurs in Indonesia as they share the opportunities they see in regenerative businesses – not just for profit, but also for social and environmental goals.
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Report
This year’s edition of the State of Blended Finance, published by Convergence, the global network for blended finance, focuses for the first time on climate, recognising it as the ultimate global challenge.
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From illipe nut to soya, emerging commodities to incumbent industries, we’re supporting a range of regenerative business models fit for people and planet.
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Our partnerships are at the forefront of the transition to sustainable, forest-positive economies. Trialling these new models means that we're learning a lot. You can browse our recent insights in our resources hub.
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