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The Cerrado biome accounts for approximately one third of Brazil's rural credit and agricultural production, with a high concentration of financial flows toward large-scale crop production, particularly soy. While the region has attracted more private funding sources like Agricultural Credit Notes (LCA) than other Brazilian biomes, the credit market remains dominated by public banks, specifically Banco do Brasil. There is a significant scarcity of credit for small and medium producers, as programs like PRONAF represent only 4% of the rural credit volume in the biome. The report argues that improving credit access for smaller producers is essential for increasing productivity and reducing deforestation pressures.

Analysis of 2020 vessel tracking and manifest data reveals that a small number of mega-traders dominate U.S. cocoa imports through opaque networks and 'cocoa-laundering' via third countries. The report highlights how 43% of cocoa from Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire passes through Europe and significant volumes from Peru and Ecuador funnel through Panama and Colombia, diverting revenue from producers. It identifies systemic obfuscation in import data, including the use of multiple company name variations by traders like Barry Callebaut to hide market dominance, and calls for U.S. legislative action to restrict imported deforestation and improve traceability.

The report 'Driven to Waste' estimates that 1.2 billion tonnes of food, or 15.3% of global production, is lost on farms. When combined with retail and consumer waste, total global food loss and waste is estimated at over 2.5 billion tonnes (approximately 40% of all food produced), contributing 10% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. The document highlights a geographic disparity: high- and middle-income countries in Europe, North America, and Industrialised Asia contribute 58% of global harvest loss, while low-income countries account for 54% of post-harvest farm-stage loss. It argues that farm-stage loss is driven by downstream market decisions and asymmetric power balances, and calls for national governments to include food loss and waste in Paris Agreement national carbon plans.

Egypt's updated NDC outlines a comprehensive strategy to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change by 2030. The plan focuses on transitioning the electricity sector to 42% renewable energy, reducing associated gas flaring in the oil and gas sector by 65%, and shifting transport toward low-carbon mass transit. Adaptation priorities include rehabilitating 20,000 km of irrigation canals, protecting the Nile Delta from sea-level rise, and enhancing agricultural resilience. Implementation is heavily dependent on international financial support, with an estimated total requirement of USD 246 billion.

The report argues that the USDA has a "long and painful history of racism and discrimination" that has led to massive land loss for Black, Indigenous, Latino, and Asian American farmers. To fulfill the mandates of Executive Order 13,985, the authors propose structural reforms including the creation of an Equity Action Plan, the establishment of an interagency task force, and the implementation of legislative set-asides for BIPOC groups. Key recommendations include increasing land access through subsidized sales and loans, improving protections for farmworkers against pesticide exposure and heat stress, and reforming the USDA's civil rights office to ensure prompt resolution of discrimination claims. The document also calls for reducing the funding of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) due to their disproportionate impact on communities of color and expanding eligibility for federal nutrition programs.

The Brazilian sustainable debt market has grown to a cumulative USD 10.8bn, with green bonds dominating at 84% of the market. Land use is a primary driver of this growth, representing 67% of total volume across green, sustainability, sustainability-linked, and transition labels. Forestry is the leading agriculture-related theme with USD 6.4bn in funding, followed by agriculture (USD 848m) and bioenergy (USD 832m). While non-financial corporates lead issuances, financial institutions and government-backed entities are increasingly entering the market. The document highlights the emergence of performance-linked instruments like Sustainability-Linked Bonds (SLBs) and transition bonds, though it notes concerns regarding transparency and the need for science-based transition pathways to avoid greenwashing.

The Brazilian sustainable debt market has grown to USD 10.8 billion, with green bonds dominating at 84% of the market. Land use is a primary driver, accounting for 67% of emissions across green, sustainable, sustainability-linked, and transition labels. The forestry sector is the most significant theme, led by pulp and paper companies like Suzano and Klabin. Bioenergy and agriculture are emerging sectors, while livestock remains a challenge but shows potential through transition bonds. The document highlights a significant investment potential of USD 163 billion for green agriculture in Brazil by 2030.

The report argues that India's post-pandemic recovery should prioritize 'building back better' by investing in natural capital and nature-based solutions (NbS). It examines the role of public and private finance, the need for a green finance taxonomy, and the importance of integrating biodiversity values into agriculture, infrastructure, and sub-national climate action plans. Key focus areas include land restoration targets, the conservation of wetlands within the Central Asian Flyway, and the mitigation of illegal wildlife trade.

The STeP Fellowship Program, managed by the IAI, focuses on bridging the gap between science and policy in Latin America and the Caribbean. Between July 2020 and June 2021, the program conducted 20 virtual training sessions and established a joint inter-American group of 20 fellows with Mitacs Canada and AAAS. Current cohorts focus on sustainable agriculture in Argentina and sustainable cities in Mexico, with plans to expand into biodiversity and disaster risk mitigation. The program also seeks strategic partnerships, including negotiations with Chile's National Congress and the US Embassy in Peru.

The document details a participatory process to define a subnational bioeconomy for Valle del Cauca, Colombia, focusing on the agricultural, agro-industrial, and nature tourism sectors. It proposes a transition toward 'bioresource' and 'bioecology' visions that balance economic growth with environmental sustainability and social inclusion. The resulting roadmap emphasizes the need for a multi-actor governance scheme, targeted financial incentives for circularity, and critical infrastructure improvements in rural transport and basic services to enable the processing of biological resources.

The 'Investment Readiness for the Landscape Resilience Fund' project aims to bridge the gap between private investors and SMEs implementing climate-resilient practices in sustainable agriculture, forestry, and nature-based solutions. By providing technical assistance, zero-interest loans, and matchmaking services, the project seeks to make at least nine SMEs 'investment-ready,' thereby unlocking private capital for climate adaptation in developing countries and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

The report estimates that Brazil could significantly increase agricultural output without further deforestation by investing in farm equipment and operational costs, noting substantial regional variation in these requirements.

The IAI Directorate reported progress in aligning its Scientific Agenda with its Strategic Plan, incorporating revisions from Canada, Argentina, and Colombia. Key scientific initiatives included transdisciplinary projects on vector-borne diseases in Jamaica and St. Lucia, and the development of a COVID-19 working group. The Directorate launched the Science, Technology and Policy (STeP) fellowship program, implemented in two countries, and established partnerships with Mitacs in Canada and the PAGES program. Efforts to bridge science and policy included a virtual workshop on drought policies for Southern South America and the creation of a fire monitoring platform for the triborder Amazon region (Brazil, Bolivia, Peru). The IAI also collaborated with the Belmont Forum on several Collaborative Research Actions (CRA) and published a special issue in the Journal Environmental Development on CRN3 results.

The research examines cassava's role in Colombia's bioeconomy, identifying opportunities for value-added products like bioplastics and food. It concludes that realizing this potential requires increasing primary production productivity through sustainable, climate-smart practices and technical assistance for small farmers, without expanding the agricultural frontier.

The report identifies a rural credit market in the Amazon characterized by low competition, limited access for producers, and a heavy concentration on livestock, which is strongly linked to illegal deforestation. It highlights that agricultural activity in the region is less entrepreneurial than in the rest of Brazil, with a predominance of public banks and a historical reliance on the Fundo Constitucional do Norte (FNO), though private resources like Letras de Crédito Agrícola (LCA) are increasing. The authors argue that aligning credit access with compliance with the Forest Code and utilizing tools like the Central Bank's Bureau Verde are essential to incentivize sustainable land use.

The report finds that SDG implementation in Sri Lanka is highly synergistic, with only 2% of direct interactions between analyzed targets being restricting. Key 'accelerators' with the highest outward influence include policy coherence, reducing corruption, and climate change capacity. Conversely, targets like drinking water and housing show the lowest outward influence due to potential trade-offs with environmental and resource management. The study emphasizes that because targets are closely intertwined, Sri Lanka requires cross-sectoral collaboration rather than siloed approaches.

The document examines the cassava value network in Colombia, highlighting its current use in food and industrial sectors and its potential for bioplastics and animal feed. It identifies low productivity, limited technology transfer, and financial barriers for smallholders as key challenges. The paper suggests transitioning toward biorefineries and inclusive supply chains to enhance Colombia's bioeconomy.

The guide encourages Americans to reduce their environmental footprint during outdoor dining by choosing sustainable foods and eliminating single-use plastics. It details the high water and land requirements of cotton and livestock, the vulnerability of wine production to climate change, and the low recycling rates for plastics in the US. Practical tips include planning menus to reduce waste, using reusable containers, choosing local and in-season foods, and opting for carbon-free transportation to picnic sites.

The document assesses six policy options to raise cocoa prices and farmer incomes to combat poverty, deforestation, and child labour. It concludes that most trade-based interventions, such as export price regimes or import duties, are unsustainable in the long term due to risks of over-supply, reduced consumer demand, and WTO compatibility issues. The author identifies bilateral partnership agreements as the most promising approach to create the governance and sustainability standards necessary for a comprehensive sector reform.

The briefing argues for a mandatory product-based due diligence framework for Forest and Ecosystem Risk Commodities (FERCs) and their derivatives. It recommends that the regulation cover not only forests but all natural ecosystems and human rights violations, specifically the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. The authors call for equivalent obligations for financial institutions, a robust enforcement mechanism including criminal penalties and access to EU courts for harmed third parties, and accompanying measures to support producer countries and reform EU consumption patterns.