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The document critiques soil carbon sequestration markets, asserting they allow major polluters to avoid real emission reductions while increasing corporate control over agriculture. It highlights how these systems favor large-scale industrial farms, marginalize smallholders, and rely on unreliable measurement methods. The text further details the role of governments and corporations, such as Yara, in promoting these mechanisms despite scientific evidence suggesting that 'climate-smart' practices do not significantly increase soil carbon storage.

The fact sheet contrasts agroecology with 'nature based solutions' (NBS), asserting that NBS serves as a tool for agribusinesses and the finance sector to commodify nature and carbon. It claims that NBS focuses on narrow carbon sequestration metrics and specific practices like no-till farming to preserve corporate control, whereas agroecology seeks systemic change, food sovereignty, and land redistribution. The document warns that NBS integrates nature into corporate profit chains and provides carbon credits that allow fossil fuel corporations to pursue 'net zero' instead of real zero emissions.

The document critiques soil carbon farming as a mechanism for corporations and governments to offset emissions without making deep cuts. It contends that these schemes entrench industrial farming, facilitate corporate data grabbing, and marginalize smallholder farmers and traditional knowledge. The author asserts that soil carbon sequestration is technically unreliable, often overestimated, and cannot compensate for the long-term impact of fossil fuel combustion.

The fact sheet critiques the trend of presenting agroecology as a subset of 'nature-based solutions' (NbS), asserting that this framing serves the interests of fossil fuel companies, agribusiness, and the financial sector. It argues that while agroecology seeks systemic change and social justice, NbS focuses narrowly on carbon capture to create new financial assets and 'green' credentials for industrial actors. The document highlights the incompatibility between the emancipatory goals of agroecology and the market-driven approach of NbS, which it claims facilitates land displacement and the continuation of destructive business models.

Sand to Green, supported by the Catalyst Fund through the Catalysing Climate Resilience (CCR) Programme, uses agroforestry and solar desalination to transform deserts into productive farmland. With $100,000 in initial capital and tailored support, the firm secured $1 million in seed funding, expanded its land holdings to 30 hectares in Morocco, and grew its annual turnover from €30,000 in 2019 to over €100,000 in 2020.

The HKH-Innovation Challenge for Entrepreneurs (ICE) 2.0, led by the Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) and ICIMOD, seeks for-profit innovations to enhance climate resilience in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. The program targets 12-15 enterprises, with a priority on youth- and women-led businesses, offering prizes between US$5,000 and $25,000 for implementation from May 1, 2026, to April 31, 2027. Selected winners receive a comprehensive support package including tailored mentoring, a Leadership Academy in Kathmandu, investment mobilisation assistance, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) support. Eligible applicants must be legally registered in Bhutan, Nepal, India (Himalayan region), or Bangladesh (Chittagong Hill Tracts) and demonstrate a viable business model that promotes biodiversity and social equity without causing harm.

The Resilient Agriculture Innovations for Nature (RAIN) challenge, a partnership between the Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) and Shockwave Foundation, supports agricultural entrepreneurs in East Africa. The program identifies nature-positive, scalable solutions that build climate resilience and protect biodiversity while offering a profitable revenue model. Selected winners (between 6 and 10 submissions) receive a comprehensive support package including up to 24 hours of mentoring, access to a Leadership Academy, communications support, and monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) assistance. Successful graduates who meet pre-agreed criteria are eligible for a cash prize of up to 50,000 USD for implementation and scaling over 12 months. Applications are assessed on a 100-point scale covering impact, innovation, equity, additionality, profitability, team experience, and risk.

The Resilient Agriculture Innovations for Nature (RAIN) challenge, a partnership between the Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) and Munich Re Foundation, seeks proposals from not-for-profit organizations in East Africa for nature-positive agricultural innovations. Selected winners will receive up to 50,000 USD in funding, tailored mentoring, leadership training, and connections to private investors to enhance the scalability and viability of their projects. Applications are evaluated on innovativeness, impact, equity, scalability, viability, team composition, and risk.

The policy brief by the Global Resilience Partnership advocates for a systemic shift in how capital markets account for resilience-related risks. It argues that current policy frameworks and market incentives are inadequate, leaving assets exposed to increasing global shocks. The document proposes a new definition of resilience based on five attributes: diversity, redundancy, connectivity, inclusivity and equity, and adaptive learning. It emphasizes that investing in resilience, particularly in the Global South, is a risk mitigation strategy that can provide high economic returns, with benefit-cost ratios for climate adaptation ranging from 2:1 to 10:1.

The document examines Zowasel's pilot initiative in Kenya and Tanzania, which aims to build resilience for small-scale sorghum farmers through a digital marketplace and physical Crop Centres. The program addresses challenges such as limited market access, poor grain quality, and the need for supply chain transparency driven by global regulations like the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). By connecting farmers and cooperatives directly to corporate buyers, Zowasel seeks to reduce reliance on intermediaries, promote regenerative agriculture, and enable farmers to access carbon credit markets. The analysis evaluates the initiative's transformative potential across five dimensions: alignment with contexts, resource enablement, relationship building, shifting power structures, and supporting systems learning.

The Ukulima Bora, Mazingira Bora Initiative, led by the Chyullu Development Foundation, supports 400 beekeepers in Makueni County, Kenya. The project aims to transition farmers toward climate-resilient and regenerative agriculture by combining traditional log hives with modern technologies to increase productivity and reduce deforestation. Key activities include capacity building, advocating for wildlife park fencing to reduce human-wildlife conflict, and creating job opportunities for tertiary-educated youth to return to their communities. The initiative also works to dismantle exploitative power dynamics by connecting farmers to agricultural cooperatives to bypass middlemen and by encouraging household-level participation to improve women's agency in beekeeping.

The document explores the intersection of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) agriculture and carbon markets, specifically within the South African context. It identifies three primary pathways for BSF farmers to access carbon credits: diverting organic waste from landfills to avoid methane, producing low-carbon alternative proteins for animal feed, and enhancing soil carbon sequestration through the use of BSF frass. The brief details the mechanics of mandatory and voluntary carbon markets, the specific phases of South Africa's Carbon Tax Act, and the complex 10-step process for project registration. It also highlights significant barriers to entry, including high upfront costs (starting at R1 million for small projects), a lack of BSF-specific methodologies, and legal restrictions in the Western Cape that prohibit credits for landfill diversion due to a 2027 organic waste ban.

The document explores the role of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae in converting organic waste into frass, a nutrient-rich excrement that serves as a bio-fertiliser. It argues that BSF frass can support regenerative horticulture by improving soil health and reducing the ecological impact of synthetic fertilisers. In South Africa, where fertiliser is heavily imported and food waste is significant, the brief identifies a potential market for frass production valued between R3.1 and R12.4 billion per year. However, growth is hindered by scaling challenges, low market awareness, and significant regulatory delays in product registration through the Department of Agriculture Land Reform and Rural Development.

The document argues that urban agriculture (UA) provides a pathway to community resilience by improving food security, creating jobs, and reducing environmental impact. It highlights the transition of Nazeer Sonday from intensive hydroponic tomato farming to a regenerative polyculture system at Vegkop Polyculture Farm in Philippi. By implementing practices such as no-till, mulching, and crop rotation, the farm increased its soil organic content (SOC) from 0.5% to 2% and expanded its crop variety from one to approximately thirty. The case study emphasizes that regenerative practices mitigate economic risks, such as the 2008 spike in potassium nitrate fertiliser prices, and reduce dependence on costly synthetic inputs. It also notes the role of co-operatives and Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) in helping small-scale farmers access larger markets and ensure sustainable production.

The document argues that Black Soldier Fly (BSF) agriculture can transform organic waste liabilities into economic opportunities by producing high-value protein meal, oil, and frass. It highlights Cape Town as a global leader in BSF innovation and identifies key opportunities in waste management, livestock and pet food, and soil security to future-proof food supply chains against climate instability and geopolitical tensions.

The author examines how the African clothing sector can transition from a linear to a circular model to align with Sustainable Development Goals 9 and 12. It identifies three primary opportunities: promoting sustainable inputs like regenerative cotton and plant-based alternatives, greening the manufacturing process to gain a competitive advantage, and transforming the influx of second-hand clothing into a value-added recycling industry. The text emphasizes that without a proactive policy roadmap, African nations risk missing economic upgrades and failing to meet upcoming EU ecodesign regulations.

The document outlines the framework for the Private Sector Pledge for Zero Hunger, inviting companies to make non-binding financial commitments in high-impact areas and priority countries. It details four types of financial contributions—core commercial investments, subsidized contributions, cash, and in-kind contributions—and emphasizes alignment with national priorities and evidence-based interventions. The guide specifies that investments must be new and aligned with the Ceres2030 investment domains. It also establishes a reporting mechanism linked to the World Benchmarking Alliance's Food and Agriculture Benchmark (FAB) to track progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 2.

The paper examines the transition of Africa's clothing and textile industry from a linear to a circular model. It identifies three primary opportunities: promoting sustainable inputs (such as regenerative cotton and alternative fibers), 'greening' the garment manufacturing process to gain a competitive advantage, and transforming the influx of second-hand clothing into a value-added recycling and upcycling industry. The author emphasizes that without a proactive policy approach and investment in technology and infrastructure, African nations risk missing economic opportunities and failing to comply with upcoming EU eco-design regulations.

The document outlines the framework for the Private Sector Commitment to "Zero Hunger," a non-binding initiative encouraging companies to align investments with science-based evidence to end hunger by 2030. It details four types of financial commitments—core commercial investments, subsidized contributions, cash, and in-kind contributions—and requires alignment with at least one of ten high-impact intervention areas and one priority country or region. The guide emphasizes national ownership, requiring companies to partner with governments or recommended international organizations like the FAO or WFP. Progress is monitored through annual reports and the World Benchmarking Alliance's Food and Agriculture Benchmark (FAB).

The document critiques the industrialization of agriculture, highlighting the degradation of topsoil, loss of genetic diversity, and high fossil fuel dependence. It proposes a shift toward 'natural capitalism' through resource productivity, closed-loop systems, and the restoration of natural capital. Key alternatives discussed include organic farming, biointensive minifarming, and management-intensive rotational grazing, emphasizing their potential to sequester carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.