5 December 2017

Financial puzzle falls into place at Global Landscapes Forum in Bonn

BONN, Germany (Landscape News) — Biodiversity loss, food insecurity and poverty are interconnected global challenges, which must be simultaneously addressed to achieve equilibrium in the global landscape.

Solid financial backing is key to ensuring challenges can be met and change can occur, a subject that will be addressed at the Inclusive Landscapes Finance Pavilion at the Global Landscapes Forum in Bonn, Germany from Dec. 19 to 20.

The pavilion will be a marketplace for networking and sharing ideas on inclusive landscape investments, business model development and coordination. Participants, including donors, will brainstorm investment ideas, announce new funds, tools, partnerships and services.

Hosted by the Landscapes for People, Food and Nature Initiative (LPFN), the pavilion will provide a platform for delegates to examine how landscape initiatives can be funded as interrelated socio-ecological systems connected physically and culturally as joint entities.

LPFN is a global initiative with over 60 partner organizations worldwide and devoted to knowledge sharing and action to support integrated landscape management.

A self-selected group of LPFN members will represent the initiative, including the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and CGIAR’s research program on Forest, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA).

Delegates in the pavilion will be able to rub shoulders with members of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), WWF, Ecoagriculture Partners, Solidaridad and Tropenbos International.

ACCELERATING ACTION

Beyond facilitating new connections, the pavilion aims to accelerate ongoing action planning between these groups. For instance, projects stemming from the GLF’s Investment Case event, AFR100’s annual dialogue and the Forest and Landscape Investment Forum.

“By addressing challenges at a landscape level, innovative practitioners are able to identify connections between agricultural production, livelihoods and the environment, and harness synergies in a more powerful way,” stresses LPFN.

The global coalition believes that, “to be implemented effectively, landscape approaches require the right policies, investments, institutions, market incentives and knowledge systems.” The Financing Sustainable Landscapes Pavilion will provide the space to do precisely that.

While the pavilion provides an interactive space for finance discussions, a formal discussion panel hosted by the U.N. Environment Programme will focus on financing sustainable landscapes, food and livelihoods.

A side event on forest landscape restoration in African countries – from policy to implementation – will explore how to put in place successful financing. Lessons learned from German financial cooperation projects will be presented.

A “launchpad” event hosted by World Resources Institute will explore “Seven ways to channel investment to restoration,” and a talk by Commonland will examine practical frameworks for people, business and landscapes.

Other finance-related sessions at GLF include:


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