Seeding Success: Sustainable Financing for Climate-Resilient and Biodiversity-Positive Startups in Rural Communities

Successful implementation and scaling up of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) measures requires short-, medium- and long-term financing. Rural enterprises in agriculture, livestock, and community-based rural tourism are highly vulnerable to climate change and face particular challenges in investing in sustainable solutions. While EbA is an efficient strategy, its benefits often materialize over the long term, which delays the return on investment for land users.

Therefore, it is essential to secure stable sources of financing that allow land users to make investments, especially for entrepreneurs in rural areas. Non-reimbursable financing allows them to implement business plans that foster business resilience in the context of climate change. In Costa Rica, the EbA LAC program in partnership with the Development Banking System (SBD) and CATIE established a non-reimbursable financing program that promotes the creation, development and growth of resilient enterprises in rural areas called Adapt-ACTIVA

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Implementing FLR in wildlife-coupled systems using Pastoralist Managed Natural Regeneration (PMNR) techniques

The East Kilimanjaro landscape in Kenya, covering Kajiado South sub-county (approximately 6,411 km²), encompasses diverse ecosystems, including rangelands suffering from severe degradation. To counter degradation, a forest landscape restoration (FLR) project, supported by WWF and other partners, involving community groups like ALOCA (Amboseli Land Owners Conservation Association) was undertaken. The project focuses on sustainable land use practices and restoration techniques to protect wildlife corridors, promote Maasai pastoral cultural practice, and create livelihood opportunities. Restoration methods include grazing management, tree rejuvenation, rainwater capture, and grass seed banking. Key actors include ALOCA (Amboseli Land Owners Association), Big Life Foundation, Justdiggit, and WWF.

Forest, River, Field, and Sea in Communities of Xinwu, Taoyuan

Bengang Village, Shenzhen Village, and Kejian Village are coastal communities in Xinwu, Taoyuan. Situated next to each other between the basins of Shezi Stream and Fuxing Stream, they feature four main ecosystems: algal reefs, windbreaks, stone fish weirs, and farmlands/ponds.

In 2022, the Hsinchu Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency organized the “Forest-River-Fields-Sea Socio-Ecological-Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS) Localization Resilience Assessment Workshops (RAWs).” The RAWs identified key challenges faced by Xinwu’s coastal communities, including changes in natural and land resource utilization, climate change-induced natural disasters, environmental pollution from industrialization, invasive species, rural depopulation and aging, and the erosion of local cultural knowledge. Conserving and enhancing the resilience of these communities’ SEPLS is an urgent task.

Comunidades fortalecen la gestión sostenible de la tierra, el bosque y la biodiversidad en la Cadena Volcánica de Guatemala

El Proyecto Promoviendo Territorios Sostenibles y Resilientes en Paisajes de la Cadena Volcánica Central en Guatemala busca integrar la conservación de la biodiversidad y la gestión sostenible de la tierra y los bosques en paisajes productivos, generando beneficios locales y ambientales globales. Mediante un enfoque participativo, ha fortalecido capacidades técnicas y organizativas de pequeños productores, promoviendo prácticas sostenibles como abonos orgánicos, reforestación y producción orgánica. También ha impulsado la participación activa de mujeres en procesos organizativos y de comercialización, mejorando sus medios de vida. Hasta la fecha, ha beneficiado a 64,450 personas (31,715 hombres y 32,733 mujeres), con 216 acuerdos voluntarios que gestionan 19,802.24 ha con herramientas de manejo del paisaje y establecen conectividad en 59,265.41 ha, entre sistemas agrícolas/forestales y áreas protegidas.

SYNTROPIC COMMUNITY FOOD FOREST FOR THE RESTORATION OF MALAWI'S NATURE AND PEOPLE

In response to deforestation and soil degradation, CARD and LUANAR launched a Syntropic Community Food Forest Demonstration Plot in Chimwala, Mulanje. Thedemo plot promotes sustainable agriculture by utilizing syntropic agroforestry, permaculture, and biofertilizer production techniques, which improve soil health and provide alternative income sources. Communities in Mulanje and Blantyre (Michiru Conserv Area) have successfully adopted these methods, generating income while restoring their land. This approach combines ecological restoration with economic opportunities, fostering local ownership and long-term conservation. Through training and participatory workshops, the initiative empowers communities, addressing environmental challenges while enhancing food security and resilience. This model highlights the importance of community engagement in sustainable land management and showcases the potential for local solutions to combat environmental degradation.

Tecnologías satelitales para la vigilancia activa del Parque Nacional Revillagigedo

El Parque Nacional Revillagigedo (PNR) protege 14.8 millones de hectáreas marinas en el Pacífico Mexicano, siendo el área de no pesca más grande de Norteamérica. Su aislamiento, gran extensión y las limitaciones en infraestructura, recursos y personal dificultan implementar acciones eficaces de supervisión y vigilancia. Estas condiciones representan un reto importante ante amenazas como la pesca ilegal o malas prácticas de turismo que ponen en riesgo el equilibrio ecológico y la biodiversidad del archipiélago.

Para enfrentar esta problemática, el PNR ha establecido alianzas estratégicas con entidades gubernamentales y no gubernamentales, e implementado tecnologías de monitoreo satelital que permiten detectar e interpretar patrones de navegación dentro del área protegida. Esta solución, reforzada con la capacitación técnica del personal operativo, ha permitido ejercer una vigilancia más eficiente, reducir la dependencia del patrullaje presencial y avanzar hacia la protección activa de su patrimonio natural.

FARM AND COMMUNITY RADIOS FOR IMPROVED PEER TO PEER LEARNING ON FOREST AND LANDSCAPE RESTORATION

Farm Radio Trust (FRT) is a Malawian NGO dedicated to improving smallholder farmers’ access to agricultural information through radio and ICT-based platforms. In rural areas where formal extension services are limited, radio remains a trusted source of knowledge. FRT uses this medium—alongside mobile and digital tools—to deliver inclusive, accurate, and locally relevant extension and advisory services. We bridge the gap between farmers and extension worker ratio and reach to a wider community, scaling out agriculture innovations.

The Solution addresses the lack of access to reliable agricultural information among men, women, and youth farmers. It increases awareness and adoption of climate-resilient and productivity-enhancing practices by making information accessible and understandable. FRT also supports policy integration of ICT in extension systems and promotes the use of market linkage platforms, improving farmers’ access to inputs, services, and markets, and strengthening agricultural value chains.

FARMER MANAGED NATURAL REGENERATION (FMNR) AND EVERGREENING AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES FOR RESTORATION

Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) empowers communities affected by land degradation and climate change. It involves regenerating trees from stumps, roots, or seeds to improve soil fertility, crop yields, fodder, firewood, water sources, and biodiversity—ultimately enhancing livelihoods.

By managing regrowth of native trees in farms and pastures, FMNR restores soil health, prevents erosion, retains moisture, and can enrich soil with nutrients like nitrogen. This low-cost, sustainable method supports economic, social, and environmental goals.

FMNR is central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is key to improving life for millions of children and their communities worldwide. It is an approach that currently is being applied for different programmes and projects such as the Restore Africa Project as well as others that focus on sustainable livelihoods.

GREEN CORPS FOR THE RESTORATION OF MALAWI'S DEGRADED FOREST LANDSCAPES

Malawi Green Corps supports Malawi Vision 2063 by advancing a greener economy and unlocking youth potential as key agents of development. It aligns with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030), aiming to prevent, and reverse ecosystem degradation. The initiative builds on lessons from the Malawi Youth Forestry Service and the COVID-19 recovery plan. Through government-identified hotspots in 10 districts, Catholic Relief Service (CRS) provides human and financial resources to recruit and train up to 2,000 youth aged 18–35 in environmental and forestry management, entrepreneurship, and forest literacy. Each youth cohort participates for up to 4 months. During this period, youth acquire practical skills and opportunities to generate green jobs, support others through employment, and contribute to building a sustainable economy. CRS oversees day-to-day supervision of participants, while overall project monitoring is conducted by UNDP Malawi in coordination with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change.

Temperate Rainforest Restoration Programme on the West Coast of the UK and on the Isle of Man

Temperate rainforest is often affectionately described as woodland where there is ‘green on green on green’, due to the hundreds of species of plants and lichens which cover every surface. The west coast of the British Isles, with its high rainfall and infrequency of winter snow, steady temperatures, and clean air, is one of the few places globally with the right conditions for it to form and thrive.

Once covering a fifth of our land, there are now only a few scattered fragments remaining- with the majority in Scotland (approximately 30,000 hectares). There are fragments still in parts of Devon, Cornwall, Wales, Lancashire, Cumbria, Yorkshire, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man – an area collectively termed our ‘oceanic zone’. Conserving and expanding our temperate rainforest is of vital importance not only for carbon sequestration, but also to protect ancient plant life, and to keep migrating populations of pied flycatchers, wood warblers, redstarts, and tree pipits coming back to our woodlands each year.

DEEP BED FARMING (DBF) FOR ENHANCED AGRICULTURAL LAND RESTORATION

Tiyeni empowers Malawian farmers with Deep Bed Farming (DBF), a climate resilient method that boosts crop yields, improves water retention, and restores degraded soils, also known as Biointensive Gardening in other countries. By breaking the hardpan layer, DBF enhances soil fertility, reducing erosion and increasing food security. Since 2013, Tiyeni has trained over 15,000 farmers, with many achieving full food security and seeing a nearly ninefold profitability increase in their first year. The approach is sustainable, using a peer-to-peer model, whereby Lead Farmers train others, ensuring long-term adoption. This decentralized system strengthens communities and supports environmental restoration. Farmers who embrace DBF witness healthier soils and more resilient farms, proving its effectiveness in tackling Malawi’s food and climate challenges. The demand for DBF is growing, as more farmers see its benefits and request training, making it a transformative solution for agricultural sustainability and land restoration.

Reintroduction of Crayfish in the Sihlwald Forest Reserve

Crayfish used to be widespread in Switzerland. However, the four native species are now under severe pressure threatened by habitat loss and invasive species, including crayfish plague. Crayfish play an important role in the aquatic ecosystem. As omnivores, they break down dead plants or the remains of dead fish, for example. They also serve as food for numerous animals, including larger fish such as pike, as well as foxes, otters, martens and herons.

The aquatic habitat also plays an important role in the Sihlwald forest reserve. The Wildnispark Zurich Foundation is committed to species conservation and supports the promotion of native wild animal species and local populations.

The goal of this project is to restore a viable population of stone crayfish (Austropotamobius torrentium) in the Sihlwald and to sensitize the local population and parks visitors to the topic of the aquatic biocenosis.

LUCHECHE TREE PLANTATION COOPERATIVE FOR IMPROVED LIVELIHOODS

In 2013, Kawandama Hills Plantation partnered with the Lucheche Cooperative to trial the planting of Corymbia citriodora trees on previously bare and underutilized land for income generation. The success of this initiative led to the cooperative’s formal registration and growth to 172 farmers, now managing 70 hectares of thriving trees. With support from a USAID grant (2016–2019), the farmers collectively sell an average of 80 tons of leaf biomass annually to Kawandama Hills for essential oil production. This reliable income has empowered farmers to build better homes, send their children to school, and launch secondary businesses such as dairy and egg farming. Importantly, the cooperative plays a vital role in reducing illegal bushmeat hunting and charcoal production by offering alternative livelihoods. Through mutual support and a revolving loan system, members encourage innovation and expand income-generating opportunities, contributing to sustainable land use and long-term economic growth in the region.