As a part of Global Landscape Forum Digital Summit, CPI Senior Analysts Daniela Chiriac and Tatiana Alves participated in a live Q&A session on how to improve smallholders’ access to finance in sustainable farming systems. 

Five entrepreneurs from the Lab joined the session to share their practical experience in developing climate finance instruments for agriculture businesses: Carina Pimenta (Conexsus), Luis Fernando Laranja (Kaeté Investimentos), Sean Dewitt and Sofia Faruqi (World Resources Institute) and Tomo Kumahira (Komaza).

2020 is on track to rank among one of the hottest years on record. Alongside the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting food value chains, extreme climate events could lead to a broader threat to nutritional security worldwide, but with the worst impact affecting the poorest and most vulnerable.

Restarting the economy in a green mode would tackle the two most pressing issues of our time—the coronavirus pandemic and climate change— simultaneously. But, in the haste for countries to find ways to save their economies, there is a risk that they disregard climate adaptation and mitigation measures which were already severely underfunded in some sectors such as agriculture.

Thus, more than ever, there is an urgent need to accelerate financial solutions that can drive resources towards sustainable agricultural supply chains throughout its stages, from production to distribution. Several of these have been developed under the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance and provide useful models for channeling investments into sustainable agriculture at scale.

The Lab instruments address cross-cutting socio-environmental risks that have the potential to affect all segments of the agricultural supply chains, with the objective of overcoming existing barriers for investments into climate-resilient agriculture. By doing so, Lab instruments help boost rural entrepreneurship, employment and food security.

This Q&A online session, hosted by the Lab, brought together experts in designing sustainable agriculture financial solutions and entrepreneurs with practical experience developing innovative instruments to drive investments into low-carbon emitting and climate-resilient farming systems.

Presenters:

• Daniela Chiriac, CPI Senior Analyst, Lab Sustainable Agriculture Stream Leader
• Tatiana Alves, CPI Senior Analyst, Lab Program in Brazil Leader
• Carina Pimenta, Executive Director at Conexsus, proponent of Lab instrument Conexsus Impact Fund
• Luis Fernando Laranja, Director Partner at Kaeté Investimentos, proponent of Lab instrument Socio-Climate Benefits Fund
• Sean Dewitt, Director, Global Restoration Initiative at WRI, proponent of Lab instrument The Land Accelerator Bond
• Sofia Faruqi, Senior Manager, New Restoration Economy at WRI, proponent of Lab instrument The Land Accelerator Bond
• Tomo Kumahira, Director of Corporate Finance at Komaza, proponent of Lab instrument Smallholder Forestry Vehicle