Financing Agroforestry: Exploring Diverse Financing Schemes for Sustainable Land Use

EMEA SIDE-EVENT AT COP29

Nov 19 @ 14:00 – 15:30 CET; 17:00 – 18:30 AZT

We are excited to announce the participation of ReForest in the upcoming COP29 side-event on Agroforestry financing organised by EMEA.

Agroforestry integrates trees and shrubs into farming landscapes, offering vital benefits for the environment, economy, and society. Despite its value in enhancing biodiversity, improving soil health, boosting crop resilience, sequestering carbon, and creating sustainable livelihoods, widespread adoption of agroforestry remains limited, largely due to financial constraints.

This event will explore innovative financing schemes tailored to agroforestry’s unique characteristics and long-term needs. It will feature discussions on successful case studies, highlight both public and private financing approaches, and encourage dialogue on how to expand investment in agroforestry globally.

Moderator of the discussion will be Yeganeh Forouheshfar, Senior Researcher, Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA).

Panel: (TBC)

• Gerry Lawson, Policy Officer at EURAF
• Sergio Ponsá Salas, Director of BETA Technological Center and Coordinator of BETA Research Group
• Martin Lukac, Professor in Ecosystem Science, University of Reading, Coordinator of the ReForest project
• Enrique Doblas, Ecology researcher, transfer officer, consultant at CREAF
• Tiago Zibecchi, Researcher at the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association
• Marek Chalupnik, Co-Founder & COO at DeepRoots
• UfM Speaker TBC

Key Themes include:

• Economic & Environmental Benefits of Agroforestry: Dual roles of agroforestry in biodiversity, climate resilience, and economic returns.
• Public & Private Financing Models: Government subsidies, grants, green bonds, and carbon credits.
• Impact Investing & Blended Finance: De-risking investments while achieving financial, social, and environmental outcomes.
• Smallholder Access to Finance: Microfinancing, cooperatives, and community-based models for small farmers.
• Innovative Financial Tools: Payment for ecosystem services (PES), carbon financing, agroforestry insurance, and sustainability-linked loans.
• Challenges & Opportunities for Scaling: Overcoming barriers to scale, including long-term investment needs and regulatory frameworks.