Investing in Sustainable Landscapes
29 May 2018, Washington, DC - FAO North America and EcoAgriculture Partners co-hosted the second High-level Speaker Series entitled, Towards Sustainable Landscapes Investing: Creative strategies to reorient capital for restoration and regeneration, at the George Washington University, ahead of the Global Landscapes Forum, which took place in Washington, DC on 30 May. The event, moderated by Sara Scherr, President and CEO of EcoAgriculture Partners, looked at the state of investments in sustainable landscapes as well as barriers and solutions.
Vimlendra Sharan, Director of FAO North America emphasized that the “Landscape approach is gathering momentum and to keep the momentum going, we need adequate, timely and sustainable investments. To ensure that, we need thought leaders who can clearly articulate the economic, social and environmental benefits and results from investments in natural landscapes.”
Christian Del Valle, Founder and Managing Partner ofAlthelia Ecosphere and Althelia Climate Fund, noted how much of the GDP is at risk if we fail to meet the climate agreement, and how only a few actors are involved in making a business case for integrated landscapes. He emphasized that natural capital is the oldest asset class, but one that has not been seen through a sustainability lens.
Kari Cohen, Director of Conservation Innovations Team at USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, provided an overview of the Department’s landscapes initiatives to preserve habitats, and tools to drive private funding towards sustainable agriculture and land conservation. He emphasized the significance of engaging private land owners to address landscape issues more broadly.
Rob Parenteau, Principal at MacroStrategy Edge, highlighted the importance of selecting appropriate integrated investments at the landscape level, and having large-scale-projects in order to mobilize adequate funds. He also shared existing financial mechanisms that can support integrated landscapes, such as asset-backed securities and special purpose vehicles that can be used to payout investors based on their risk, or mutual funds that use diversification across different instruments to diversify risk across portfolios.
Additional Readings
Additional highlights from the event
Sustainable financing for forest and landscape restoration
Land Scapes for Life: Approaches to landscape management for sustainable food and agriculture