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The document examines the nexus between the AfCFTA, biodiversity, and agriculture, noting that while the agreement can boost agricultural growth and regional value chains, it lacks strong, explicit commitments to biodiversity conservation. It warns that trade liberalisation could lead to natural resource depletion, the displacement of smallholder farmers, and the promotion of monoculture. To counter these risks, the authors advocate for 'biodiversity-based agriculture' (eco-functional intensification) and the alignment of trade negotiations with multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). Key recommendations include establishing common frameworks for non-tariff barriers, protecting indigenous genetic resources through intellectual property rights, and investing in capacity development for small-scale farmers who produce approximately 80% of Africa's food.

A group of scientists requests increased public funding for US agricultural research to address the climate crisis, noting that inflation-adjusted investments have fallen by one-third since 2002. They argue that public R&D is essential for developing tools to mitigate climate change and improve food security, as private sector research often ignores non-commercial environmental benefits. The letter specifically calls for more resources for USDA agencies and programs such as the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), and research into sustainable nutrition and farmworker health.

The document outlines the interconnectedness of the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, pollution, and social injustice. It argues that current economic and social systems based on fossil fuels and overconsumption are unsustainable, leading to severe impacts such as rising sea levels, water scarcity, and air pollution. The guide advocates for a fundamental shift toward circular economies, sustainable agriculture, and a 'just transition' that prioritizes the rights of the poor, women, and indigenous populations to ensure the planet's regeneration.

The document argues that the current climate and ecological crisis is driven by economic and social systems reliant on fossil fuels and overconsumption. It calls for a fundamental shift toward renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and circular economic practices to protect biodiversity and ensure social justice. The guide emphasizes that the poorest populations suffer most from environmental degradation despite being the least responsible, advocating for a 'just transition' and the protection of human rights to clean air and water. It urges governments and individuals to move from a relationship of exploitation to one of care for the planet.

The Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) Fund Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) is a global project designed to bridge the gap between promising land restoration concepts and 'investor-ready' projects. Managed by IDH and co-promoted by the UNCCD and Mirova, the TAF provides technical, operational, and financial assistance to SMEs, cooperatives, and private companies. It focuses on two main components: improving the technical quality and impact of projects (both pre- and post-investment) and establishing a knowledge management system through a Learning Network. The facility aims to increase private investment in sustainable land management (SLM), particularly in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), while aligning with the UNCCD's Land Degradation Neutrality targets.

The report argues that biodiversity loss represents a material financial risk—categorised as physical, transition, and liability risks—for the seafood and agriculture sectors and their financiers. It details how these sectors depend on ecosystem services while simultaneously driving biodiversity loss through land-use change, pollution, and overexploitation. The document outlines specific legal risks under EU regulations, such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), as well as national laws in France, Germany, and Norway. It concludes that robust due diligence and transparent disclosure are essential for mitigating these risks and ensuring long-term business viability.

The report finds that deforestation in the Amazon is highly concentrated, with 28% of the biome's deforestation occurring in rural settlements that occupy only 8% of its territory. Specifically, 75% of forest loss in settled areas in 2022 occurred in just 5% of the settlements. The authors argue that targeted interventions in these high-impact areas, combining command-and-control measures with sustainable incentives like payments for environmental services (PSA) and technical assistance, are essential to meeting Brazil's 2030 climate goals.

The report finds that deforestation in the Amazon's rural settlements is highly concentrated, with 5% of settlements accounting for 17% of the biome's total deforestation between 2012 and 2022. It argues that targeting a small group of persistent high-deforestation settlements, often located near federal highways, offers a high-impact opportunity for forest preservation. The authors recommend a combination of strengthened environmental monitoring and enforcement by IBAMA, alongside sustainable incentives such as payments for environmental services (PES) and forest restoration initiatives.

Climate Resilient Landscape Finance (CRLF) is an innovative umbrella facility combining microfinance, private debt, and technical assistance to address the lack of bankability for sustainable land use in African conservation areas. The instrument aims to mobilize USD 12 million in capital to support local landowners and landscape management companies, leveraging international carbon and biodiversity credit markets to create self-sustaining conservation economies. A pilot phase will begin in the Northern Maasai Mara, Kenya, with plans to expand across Eastern and Southern Africa.

The Low-Carbon Agriculture Transition Mechanism (LATM) is a financial structure designed to decarbonize Brazil's agricultural sector by providing small and medium-sized farmers with long-term loans, technical assistance, and a first-of-its-kind income guarantee. The mechanism targets four specific credit lines: Pasture Recovery, Sustainable Livestock Intensification, Integrated Systems, and Agroforestry and Bioeconomy. It aims to mobilize USD 115 million in total capital—combining commercial, concessional, and grant funding—to reach 78,000 hectares by 2030 and avoid or remove over 187,245 tons of CO2e per year. The implementation follows a three-phase pathway: a Pilot Phase testing components in the Amazon and Cerrado, a Commercial Phase scaling the full structure across three biomes, and a Scale-up Phase reducing dependency on concessional capital.

The Lendable Decarbonization Fund (LDF) is an innovative financial instrument designed to provide sustainability-linked loans (SLLs) to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and middle market companies (MMEs) in emerging economies. By utilizing the proprietary Maestro technology for real-time monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV), the LDF aims to reduce the administrative costs that typically prevent smaller firms from accessing SLLs. The fund also includes a Carbon Project Preparation Facility (CPPF) to provide technical assistance and grants for developing carbon offset projects. LDF targets an initial assets under management (AUM) of USD 250 million by year three and USD 500 million by year five, focusing on sectors such as energy access, energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and transport across Africa, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Latin America.

The report examines the global sugar cane sector, highlighting the role of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) in promoting resilience and sustainability. It analyzes how climate change, geopolitical conflicts, and government interventions distort market prices and affect the livelihoods of millions of smallholders. The document provides a detailed look at the value chain, where refiners and traders capture the most value, and suggests pathways for improving farmer incomes through diversification, better policy frameworks, and the expansion of sustainable sourcing.

The report examines how voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) can be integrated into trade policies to foster sustainable South-South trade. It identifies key barriers, such as high compliance costs and lack of demand, and provides case studies from Africa, Asia, and Latin America to demonstrate successful integration strategies, including mutual recognition agreements and participatory guarantee systems.

The Yacarantã Collective, led by João, Yasmin, and Heitor, promotes syntropic agriculture in Rio Manso, Brazil, to counter the ecological damage caused by monoculture and pesticides. Starting in 2014 at Yacarantã Farm, the initiative evolved from a private project into a collective effort to empower vulnerable rural communities, particularly women. Following a devastating mining dam collapse in 2019, the collective expanded its outreach to over 400 impacted families, partnering with a Rural School to provide education on regenerative economy and sustainable agriculture. This led to the creation of the 'Margaridas' women's group, which established a community-based agroforestry system covering over 2,000 square meters with 400 seedlings and 30 types of vegetables.

The sustainable debt market in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) reached a cumulative total of USD 154.1 billion by the end of 2022. While the region represents only 4% of global sustainable debt, these instruments account for approximately 21% of the region's total debt volume from 2019 to 2022. The market is led by Chile, Mexico, and Brazil, with a strong presence of sovereign issuers and development banks. Key trends include the rise of sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs), the emergence of 'blue bonds' for ocean conservation, and the development of national taxonomies in Colombia and Mexico to standardize sustainable investments.

The report identifies the Caatinga biome in Northeast Brazil as highly vulnerable to climate change, with family farmers facing the greatest risks. Using an aridity index, the study demonstrates that increased drought leads to significant relative productivity losses in beans, corn, and cattle compared to other Brazilian biomes. These climate shocks are correlated with severe socioeconomic declines, including increased poverty, child mortality, school delay, and unemployment. The authors argue that a 'rural just transition' in the region must integrate social development policies with the adoption of low-carbon agricultural technologies to increase the resilience of the most exposed producers.

The document outlines three main sets of proposals to align Brazil's agricultural credit and insurance systems with climate goals. It advocates for increasing funding for the ABC+ and PRONAF ABC+ programs, restricting credit to properties with illegal deforestation or environmental embargoes, and improving rural insurance through the Rural Insurance Premium Subsidies Program (PSR) and the implementation of ZARC Stewardship Levels. Additionally, it suggests redirecting 10% of Constitutional Financing Funds (FCFs) toward sustainable practices and harmonizing these funds with the National Rural Credit System.

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a USDA initiative that pays agricultural producers to remove environmentally sensitive land from production to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and reduce wildlife habitat loss. The program includes various initiatives such as the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and the Farmable Wetland Program, with specific acreage caps ranging from 24 million to 27 million acres between 2019 and 2023. In 2021, the USDA highlighted the program's climate impact, estimating a reduction of 12 million metric tons of CO2e per year, and introduced incentives to further increase enrollment and mitigation potential.

The author contends that Africa can leverage the transition to a circular garment industry to drive economic growth and industrial upgrading. Key opportunities include producing sustainable cotton and alternative fibres, greening manufacturing processes to gain a competitive advantage, and repurposing the high volume of second-hand clothing imports into new products and recycled yarns. The author emphasizes that without a proactive industrial policy or circular economy roadmap, African nations risk missing these opportunities and failing to meet Sustainable Development Goals 9 and 12, particularly as the European Union introduces stricter eco-design regulations.

The document establishes a programmatic gender approach for the &Green Fund, which aims to delink deforestation from commodity supply chains (livestock, palm oil, soy, rubber, cocoa, and forestry). It defines a two-tracked investment strategy—gender-sensitive and gender-transformative—integrated into the fund's due diligence and monitoring processes. The report provides detailed gender and socioeconomic baselines for 11 countries, highlighting systemic barriers such as limited land tenure for women, unpaid care burdens, and the prevalence of sexual exploitation, abuse, and sexual harassment (SEAH) in agribusiness. It recommends using Environmental and Social Action Plans (ESAPs) as binding loan covenants to ensure equitable benefits and the removal of gender barriers in the target landscapes.