Natural capital & agriculture
The growing need to conserve and enhance natural capital is well documented. We know that we are depleting natural resources faster than the earth can replenish them, and at an accelerating rate (WWF 2014). Growing demand for food supply puts increasing pressure on our natural capital, including our forest ecosystems. ImpactAgri has developed a comprehensive strategy for considering and protecting forestry in the project planning of large scale agricultural projects. We do not consider forestry and agriculture to be independent sectors, and work with forestry companies and investors on several key themes:
Reforestation and agriculture
We consider how reforestation can be an integral part of the overall project, putting forestry and agriculture central to the project.
- Can agriculture convert degraded land into future forested areas?
- Are trees and agroforestry used to support forest restoration?
Forestry and agriculture, hand in hand
- Is the wider landscape being managed to integrate forest restoration with agricultural production
- Will the investment avoid conversion of forested areas into agriculture? This includes un-intended consequences of small-scale farmer development.
- Is the role of timber and non-timber forest products for small-scale farmers’ livelihoods understood?
Design of agricultural projects with forestry at the heart
- Does the project avoid unsustainable land management practices? Issues such as water availability or pollution can affect forest health.
- Will the agricultural investment be designed to reduce pressure on forests (e.g. location, productivity)?
- Are the agricultural projects’ dependencies on forested areas clearly understood? (e.g. windbreaks, pollination areas, barrier to reduce transmission of diseases etc)
Natural Capital & decision making in
Furthermore, as we work across the value chain, we also consider synergies between forestry and agriculture. This can include use of technology, logistics, information, processing etc. Find out more about how ImpactAgri puts natural capital at the centre of its planning and financial modelling for large scale agricultural projects in Africa.
impactagri_integrating_natural_capital
Contact: David.lyon@2gd.e28.myftpupload.com
