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Agroforestry, the practice of integrating trees and shrubs into agricultural landscapes, offers significant environmental, economic, and social benefits. It enhances biodiversity, improves soil health, increases crop resilience, sequesters carbon, and provides sustainable livelihoods for farmers. Despite these benefits, the adoption of agroforestry systems has been hindered by limited access to financing tailored to its unique characteristics and long-term nature.
Financing agroforestry requires innovative schemes that account for its dual role in producing both agricultural and forestry-related outputs. These financing models need to be adaptable to the timelines of agroforestry projects, support smallholders, and align with sustainability goals. This event seeks to explore various financing schemes, highlight successful case studies, and foster dialogue on how to accelerate investment in agroforestry systems globally.
Key Discussion Points:
- Agroforestry’s Economic and Environmental Benefits: The dual benefits of agroforestry for enhancing biodiversity, improving resilience to climate change, and providing long-term economic returns.
- Public and Private Financing Models: The role of government subsidies, grants, and policy frameworks that incentivize agroforestry, alongside private-sector-led green financing models like green bonds and carbon credits.
- Impact Investing and Blended Finance: How impact investors and blended finance mechanisms can de-risk agroforestry investments while delivering both financial returns and social/environmental benefits.
- Access to Finance for Smallholders: Addressing the financing gap for smallholder farmers, including microfinancing, cooperatives, and the role of community-based financing schemes.
- Innovative Financial Tools: Exploring tools such as payment for ecosystem services (PES), carbon financing, agroforestry insurance products, and sustainability-linked loans that support long-term agroforestry investments.
- Challenges and Opportunities for Scaling: Identifying the key barriers to scaling up agroforestry financing, including the need for long-term investment horizons, regulatory frameworks, and alignment with sustainability standards.
Agenda
Moderator: Dr. Yeganeh Forouheshfar, Senior Researcher at the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA)
Panel:
- Tiago Zibecchi, Researcher at the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association
- Enrique Doblas, Ecology researcher, transfer officer, consultant at CREAF
- Martin Lukac, Professor, The Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Coordinator of the ReForest project
- Hafsa El Bekri, Advocacy and Executive Strategy Senior Associate, Positive Agenda
- Marek Chalupnik – Co-Founder & COO at DeepRoots
- Gerry Lawson – Policy Officer at EURAF
- Andrea Casadesús, BETA Technological Center and Coordinator of BETA Research Group
Date: 19 November 2024
Time: 17:00 – 18:30 AZT / 14:00- 15:30 CET
Venue: Mediterranean Pavilion, COP 29 Conference centre, Baku, Azerbaijan, and online
Event format: Hybrid (In-person and virtual participation)
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https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88382421129?pwd=vaxcCbauzhv9SAsKEgNyKipDAdMk4l.1