eco.business Development Facility and CATIE partner to host virtual seminars on sustainable agriculture practices
The eco.business Development Facility has formed a new partnership with CATIE to host five virtual seminars over the next three months on sustainable agriculture for clients from the fund’s partner institutions, as well as the general public. Together, they present various topics on the sustainable management of agriculture, and the responsible use of natural resources in business practices.
CATIE, formally known as “The Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center,” was established in 1973 and is today one of Latin America’s leading institutions for research and graduate education in agriculture as well as the management, conservation, and sustainable use of natural resources. In cooperation with over 400 public and private partners, the institution has trained more than 70,000 people in various fields related to sustainable agriculture development and the conservation of natural resources. The new partnership will allow the eco.business Development Facility to generate new knowledge and leverage CATIE’s network and expertise – pursuing the fund’s mission of supporting responsible business and consumption practices in Latin America and the Caribbean.
All five seminars are hosted online and are open to the public. Information on how to access each seminar will be shared via the eco.business Fund Twitter page.
The topics under discussion include:
- 13 August (completed) – Innovations for sustainable cattle farming intensification systems
- 27 August – Good practices in the sustainable production of milk in the tropics
- 9 September – Financial and economic analysis on forestry-related coffee, cacao, and cattle production activities
- 24 September – Watershed management, and water footprint
- 8 October – Circular economy in local governments
Ms. Susanne Berghaus, Chairperson of the eco.business Development Facility, stated: “We are excited about this new partnership as CATIE is a respected and renowned institute, with a strong focus on sustainable agriculture and natural resource management in Latin American and the Caribbean. This aligns well with the eco.business Development Facility’s goal to disseminate knowledge on sustainable agriculture, in order to amplify the impact of the fund’s investments. Through strategic partnerships like this, we hope to work together to educate businesses and the general public on the importance of sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean.”
About the eco.business Fund
The eco.business Fund aims to promote business and consumption practices that contribute to biodiversity conservation, to the sustainable use of natural resources, and to mitigate climate change and adapt to its impacts in Latin America, the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa. By providing financing for business practices that conserve nature and foster biodiversity, the fund seeks investments with both environmental and financial returns. The eco.business Fund provides financing through three avenues: local financial institutions that are committed to the fund’s mission and which have the capacity to reach its target group; directly to its target group (i.e. companies and producers); and in the case of sub-Saharan Africa, to real sector intermediaries. The fund supports sustainable operations in the sectors of agriculture, fishery (including aquaculture), forestry and tourism. Target beneficiaries are those that hold an eligible sustainability certification or those taking out a loan to make eligible sustainable investments in their operations.
An impact investment fund advised by Finance in Motion, the eco.business Fund was initiated by Germany’s KfW Development Bank and Conservation International with financial support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The sub-fund for Latin America and the Caribbean has received further support from the European Commission. The sub-fund’s additional investor base comprises IDB Invest, a member of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group, the U.K. government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Dutch development bank FMO, Austrian development bank OeEB, and institutional investors such as sustainable banking institution ASN Bank, German ethical bank GLS Bank, Calvert Impact Capital, and Raiffeisen Bank International. Finance in Motion, a leading impact investing company, is also an investor.
Operating together with each of the two sub-funds, are two development facilities that provide high-impact technical assistance to investment partners and final borrowers.
For more information please visit www.ecobusiness.fund and follow us on Twitter @ecobusinessfund.