Financing Integrated Landscape Investments in Africa

In July 2014, nearly 200 highly regarded experts, practitioners and policy makers from across Africa and around the world came together over three days to synthesize lessons learned from research and experience in integrated landscape management to jointly achieve food security, biodiversity and climate objectives. The gathering was called the Landscapes for People, Food and Nature in Africa Conference. We generated a powerful set of policy and programmatic recommendations for national, regional and international action. And we committed to moving these plans forward. Now we need your help. [également disponible en Français]

This brief explores the ways in which the business sector can be further engaged in African landscapes now and in the future.

Integrated Landscape Initiatives (ILIs) have unique financing needs. ILIs are struggling to meet these needs with existing finance mechanisms. But a range of key investors can coordinate their activities to better serve ILIs and buffer their investment risk.

Synthesized research is needed to develop and manage successful integrated landscapes initiatives in Africa. This brief brings together relevant knowledge and provides recommendations for actions for the develepment of knowledge sharing platforms.

Summarizing and synthesizing the latest policy research on the state of land management in Africa, this brief provides a foundation and suggests major avenues for the critical policy action needed to launch integrated landscape management into the mainstream on the continent.

As the economic impacts of climate related risks grow and the limitations of public finance are ever more apparent, both the risk burden and investment requirements for climate smart investment are increasingly moving to the private sector, yet there remains a lack of private finance to fill the gap. We can change this picture.