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]]>Women, youth, Afro-descendants and Indigenous Peoples join the GLFx network to expand the impact of their climate adaptation, ecopreneurship and conservation projects in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.
Bonn, Germany (19 February 2026) – The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF), a leading knowledge-led platform and community on sustainable land use, welcomes 12 community-led initiatives to its global network of chapters, GLFx.
Selected from 818 applicants, these initiatives join 50 existing GLFx chapters spanning 33 countries, involving over 70,000 people across 400 landscape restoration activities, involving both the ecosystems and their inhabitants.
“GLFx is exceptional at connecting us with the key partners and institutions we need to talk about scaling our Food Forest project, and with landscape leaders who are eager to join us in restoring landscapes, which family farmers depend on.” – Gerald Nkusi, Coordinator of GLFx Virunga, a Uganda-based chapter active since 2024.
The new GLFx chapters are led by women, Indigenous people, youth and Afro-descendants, and their work focuses mainly on climate adaptation, ecopreneurship and biodiversity conservation within a variety of ecosystems across the globe.
These independent local organizations will gain new opportunities for partnerships, networking, learning, global exposure and participation in international events, as well as access to seed funding for sustainable landscape management.
- GLFx Sidama is the first GLFx chapter in Ethiopia. Led by the Integrated Women’s Development Organization, the chapter connects this women-led initiative to a global network for the first time. Its approach involves restoring communal and private farmland while expanding women-based small farms management, and it aims to tackle land degradation, the climate crisis, gender inequality, high unemployment and poor farm productivity.
- GLFx Machakos, led by the Kijani Mtaani initiative in Kenya, is restoring degraded landscapes, strengthening livelihoods and enhancing wellbeing by focusing on local knowledge, inclusive participation and long-term stewardship. It co-designs nature-based solutions covering restoration, climate resilience, learning and care with young people and local communities.
- GLFx Sambirano, led by SoaRoots ReForest in Madagascar, is a women-led social enterprise restoring landscapes by designing and supporting reforestation initiatives. Working with farmers, children and schools, companies, associations, and local authorities, its approach covers the circular economy, agriculture, agroforestry, food security, improved livelihoods and sustainable activities in dry and moist forests.
- GLFx Msimbazi, led by the Environmental Conservation Community of Tanzania (ECCT), is an initiative managed by youth and women that aims to create lasting environmental and social impact by restoring degraded ecosystems, particularly through mangrove restoration and coastal regreening. Working with women and youth in ecosystem restoration and ecopreneurship, the initiative also tackles plastic waste and promotes sustainable fashion.
- GLFx Kalangala is led by Beautiful Periods Uganda and based on the Ssese Islands of Lake Victoria. Formed within the School Food Forest Initiative, it helps the community restore damaged land and improve nutrition and livelihoods through self-sufficient food systems. It works with youth and women in agroforestry, tree nurseries management and environmental education, while also addressing period stigmas and hygiene issues.
“This is the first time that our organization has had the chance to collaborate with different community-based organizations, associations, nongovernmental organizations, researchers and funding agents at the global level. It will help expand best practices and successful stories to other communities.” – GLFx Sidama team.
- GLFx Buton, led by Sekolah Rakyat Butuni (SERABUT), is an Indigenous-led initiative based on the island of Buton in Indonesia. It implements community-driven ecosystem restoration while strengthening Indigenous rights, promoting regenerative agriculture and safeguarding forests, coastal zones and marine biodiversity. It aims to create a buffer against the expansion of mining projects on the island through agroforestry and restoration.
- GLFx Wabag-Enga is the first GLFx chapter in Papua New Guinea. Led by the Wabag District Coffee Growers Cooperative Society, it aims to help smallholders – particularly youth and women – transition from subsistence farming to sustainable commercial production. This initiative promotes sustainable coffee agriculture in climate-affected and HIV-and-conflict-prone areas in Enga Province while also addressing local food security challenges and improving rural livelihoods.
- GLFx Vanuatu, led by Mitingar Women & Girls Association is the first GLFx chapter in Vanuatu. Gathering nearly 500 women in 25 sister circles, and aiming to expand across the country, this initiative is fully women-based and specializes in teaching, finance and social development. Through local and national actions, it aims to connect more women and girls, focusing on education, health and climate-resilient agriculture.
“Joining the GLFx network isn’t just about gaining access to international collaborations; it’s about building bridges between grassroots communities and global knowledge. For us, it’s a way to showcase our work for Earth’s restoration.” – GLFx Buton team.
Latin America and the Caribbean
- GLFx Wikina Wos, led by Alianza Wichi in Argentina, works with Indigenous Wichí, Nivaclé, Chorote and Guaraní people to restore the Gran Chaco ecosystem through agroforestry and agroecology. Drawing on ancestral knowledge, contemporary tools and multidisciplinary scientific research, it tackles several ecological and social challenges, including food sovereignty, water infrastructure and the legal defense of Indigenous territory.
- GLFx Cerrado Goiano is led by the Pró-Onça Institute in Brazil. This women-led initiative in the municipality of Cocalzinho de Goiás sustains strong partnerships with local community groups, national parks and universities. It conserves jaguar habitats and implements community-based ecological restoration by training women and youth in ecosystem monitoring and planting native species in degraded areas of ecological corridors.
- GLFx Napo-Cotopaxi, led by Fundación Ecosistemas en Acción (ECO-ACCIÓN), involves the Indigenous Kichwa community of Atacapi and the peasant community of Santa Elena de Cuchitingue in the Amazonian and Andean regions of Ecuador. It adopts community-based and participatory land use planning to promote landscape restoration, biodiversity conservation, agroecology, agroforestry and food security.
- GLFx Sisal, led by the community youth group Reciclando Dunas in Mexico, aims to restore deforested coastal dunes in Sisal, Yucatán, by creating local capacity for their protection. This includes reforesting degraded areas with native plants and implementing environmental education programs, involving students, teachers, NGOs and the wider local community.
“Joining GLFx means amplifying the reality and potential of the Indigenous Peoples of Argentina and connecting our work in the Gran Chaco with a global community of learning and action. We see it as an opportunity to weave a network of interconnected, prosperous and resilient Indigenous territories capable of dialoguing with the world without losing their roots: sharing evidence, stories and regenerative models that inspire alliances and scale.” – GLFx Wikina Wos team.
“GLFx embodies the aspirations of locally-rooted organizations to connect, collaborate and restore the landscapes that sustain life and community wellbeing. Together, we are shaping a trust-based partnership model where tailored opportunities and resources go hand in hand with supporting and advocating for local agency and landscape leadership, ultimately making global restoration goals grounded and possible.” — Ana Yi, GLFx Coordinator at the Global Landscapes Forum.
Explore all the GLFx chapters here.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
- Download photos of the chapters’ landscapes and communities here
- Download GLFx visuals from this Trello board
- For more information and to arrange interviews, contact Kelly Quintero (k.quintero@cifor-icraf.org)
ABOUT THE GLF
The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) is the world’s largest knowledge-led platform on integrated land use, connecting people with a shared vision to create productive, profitable, equitable and resilient landscapes. It is led by the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), in collaboration with its co-founders UNEP and the World Bank, and its charter members. Learn more at www.globallandscapesforum.org.
ABOUT GLFx
GLFx is a network of independently organized, community-oriented and grassroots initiatives transforming their landscapes from the ground up and advocating for policy change. GLFx is designed to accelerate local action toward global landscape restoration by connecting members with the knowledge, tools and networks necessary to achieve lasting and holistic change. GLFx is supported by the German entities the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as well as the Robert Bosch Stiftung and International Model Forest Network (IMFN) in partnership with the Government of Canada. Learn more at globallandscapesforum.org/about-glfx/.
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In this powerful session from the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) Asia Community in Action Digital Week, speakers unpack the urgent questions shaping the region’s clean energy future — and challenge the idea that renewable automatically means fair. Moderated by Varun, with insights from Aishka and Jitsai, the conversation dives deep into how energy innovation intersects with climate justice, gender equity, and youth leadership across Asia.
Here’s what you’ll discover in this discussion:
- Why a “just energy transition” must center people, land, and dignity — not just megawatts Global South
- How some green energy projects risk repeating patterns of colonial extraction in the
- The reality of community displacement from hydropower and large-scale infrastructure
- Who controls climate finance — and why frontline communities are often left out• Why critical minerals and green hydrogen deals raise tough justice questions
- The growing role of youth advisory boards in shaping energy policy
- The hidden labor of women in the care economy — and why a feminist energy transition matters
- How AI, data centers, and rising electricity demand impact Southeast Asia
- The push for gender-responsive climate policy at global climate negotiations
This session explores the uncomfortable but necessary truth: clean energy without justice can deepen inequality. From grassroots movements to climate diplomacy spaces like COP, the panelists highlight the importance of shifting power, funding, and decision making toward communities most affected by the energy transition.
If you care about:
- Climate justice in Asia
- Feminist climate leadership
- Youth engagement in energy policy
- Renewable energy and social equity
- Sustainable development in the Global South
This conversation is for you.
Join the movement toward an energy future that doesn’t just reduce emissions — but restores fairness, dignity, and opportunity.
Subscribe for more discussions on climate policy, sustainable landscapes, and community-driven solutions.
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5 wins for collective action in 2025
2025 was a year of collective action. Discover our year in review and the lessons we’re taking into 2026 and beyond.
Explore 5 areas of growth, collaboration and
transformative action
Voices shaping landscapes
In 2025, through platforms such as GLF Forests, Forests, People, Planet and GLF Africa, we’ve had the pleasure of listening to the words and wisdom of powerful women, moving speakers, community leaders, filmmakers and storytellers from around the world.
Great change often starts with a single voice, and those calling for liveable landscapes need to be highlighted, not hidden.
In 2026, we’ll listen closer, amplify further and keep the voices of the community shaping landscapes at the center of what we do.
AI for good
Whether it was chatbots, web searches or the phone in your pocket, artificial intelligence was everywhere in 2025.
Through lively discussions at GLF Climate, insightful talks at GLF Africa and a dedicated Digital Forum, we’ve been weighing up the costs and benefits of this nascent industry and exploring the innovative ways people are using it to protect nature.
It’s anyone’s guess what 2026 will bring, but as we enter the new year, the GLF will be staying on the cutting edge to ensure AI is working for people and planet.
Knowledge is power
Lasting change is rooted in knowledge – traditional, scientific and lived – and this year, the GLF has published over 200 papers, interviews, videos and more on our Knowledge Hub.
We also launched a brand-new live podcast, TalkLandscape, where we (and you!) can chat with experts from around the world.
On ThinkLandscape, we’ve explored everything from cobalt mining to lab-grown meat, shared local stories by landscape leaders and covered this year’s biggest climate and biodiversity events.
In 2026, we’ll keep sharing stories that explore our planet and inspire the action we need to protect it.
Knowledge is an ongoing journey, whether you’re a scientist, academic or landscape professional.
Keep learning with the Landscape Academy, hosted by CIFOR-ICRAF and the GLF, which offers a growing collection of courses from world-class institutions.
Financing nature's frontlines
Nature needs financing – that’s very clear. How to make that happen is a little more complicated. Throughout 2025, we explored new paths and innovative solutions to bridge the gap between planet and profit, and get funding where it needs to be.
Together with the Government of Luxembourg, we hosted the 8th GLF Investment Case Symposium, where global experts discussed everything from redirecting subsidies to leveraging blended finance, and why investing in Indigenous and community-led solutions is non-negotiable.
Going from words to action, the GLF and Luxembourg also announced Rio Changemakers: a one-of-a-kind AI-powered marketplace to connect locally-led solutions with the capital they need.
The conversation doesn’t stop here. As we head into 2026, the GLF will be searching for ever more innovative ways to finance nature and the people that protect it, and launching our brand new AI matchmaking engine.
Majority for action
The vast majority of people – up to 89% – want their governments to do more to tackle the climate crisis.
We called on you, that majority and our community, to join us in the runup to COP30 to demand a radical rethink of our economic and political systems.
Over 15,000 people answered the call and joined us at GLF Climate and the 8th Investment Case, and the momentum is still building.
We are all the majority for action – this is the message we took to Belém and the message we’ll carry forward as we continue to build momentum, connections and hope in 2026.
Social media wall
#MajorityForAction Photo Exhibition
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- Today, the World Bank launches the report “Agriculture Rooted in Biodiversity,” outlining immediate opportunities to build resilient agricultural landscapes
- With up to 40 percent of land worldwide degraded, ecosystem diversity underpins the natural services that sustain agriculture
- Long-term public funding is needed for local context-specific research and farmer incentives as part of a wider shift toward sustainable practices
Bonn, Germany (11 December 2025) – The World Bank’s new report, “Agriculture Rooted in Biodiversity,” underscores the urgency of protecting life diversity in ecosystems across the planet to safeguard crop and livestock production and the livelihoods that rely on it.
Up to 40 percent of the world’s land area is degraded, jeopardizing the livelihoods of at least 3.2 billion people and causing economic losses worth more than 10 percent of annual global GDP.
The report, aimed at government agencies and ministries, development partners and multilateral development banks supporting governments, provides the knowledge, policy tools and investment options needed to boost biodiversity and meet growing food demand and improve healthy diets globally.
It illustrates the impact of diversity at genetic, species and ecosystem levels and how it helps maintain soil health, regulate water quality and flows, pollination, control pests and disease and regulate climate, among other vital ecosystem services.
“Integrating farming and biodiversity should also be the business of ministries of agriculture and finance – working hand in hand with farmers, investors and researchers. Because it makes good economic sense,” said Juergen Voegele, Vice President, Planet, World Bank.
“When nature and biodiversity collapse, agriculture pays the price. Agricultural losses from water-related shocks have increased by an astounding 65 percent over the last century, exceeding $300 billion annually,” Voegele added.
The report also highlights how unsustainable agricultural practices such as monocropping, overgrazing and excessive water extraction are driving biodiversity loss. It calls for a transition to sustainable approaches backed by long-term public funding for context-specific research and incentives for farmers, who face high initial investment costs and long payback periods.
At a time when agricultural support incentivizes unsustainable practices, the report shows how policy and investment can target practices that improve both biodiversity and productivity.
It outlines actions that can be taken now – from applying spatial data for conservation and restoration to supporting farmers in conserving plant genetic resources and monitoring the biodiversity that sustains agriculture.
“In rural landscapes, farmers and cooperatives, are quietly showing what real solutions look like. They are conserving agrobiodiversity, protecting community led seed banks and also restoring ecosystems through agroecology,” said Shaik Imran Hussain Choudhary, Co-Founder of Prakheti Agrologics and 2025 GLF Forest Restoration Steward.
Watch the launch of “Agriculture Rooted in Biodiversity”:
Did you know?
- Wild pollinators have declined by over 40 percent in the past decade, undermining pollination, which is valued at $235–$577 billion per year
- Climate-related agricultural losses have increased by 150 percent since 1980 and now exceed $100 billion annually
- Natural vegetation loss and land conversion have increased agriculture’s vulnerability to hazards and extreme events, with an estimated production loss of $3.8 trillion over the past three decades
- Agricultural biodiversity has declined significantly, with commercial crop varieties decreasing 75 percent since 1900
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The report was prepared by the World Bank in cooperation with CGIAR, the Wildlife Conservation Society and FAO, with financial support from Food Systems 2030, NBS Invest, Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership and PROGREEN trust funds, and the FAO Cooperative Program.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
For more information, or to schedule interviews, contact Kelly Quintero (k.quintero@cifor-icraf.org)
ABOUT THE GLF
The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) is the world’s largest knowledge-led platform on integrated land use, connecting people with a shared vision to create productive, profitable, equitable and resilient landscapes. It is led by the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), in collaboration with its co-founders UNEP and the World Bank, and its charter members. Learn more at www.globallandscapesforum.org.
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Display at the Climate Finance: Delivering Climate Solutions Through Agrifood Systems exhibit, FAO headquarters, Rome. Photo by Piedad Martín
By: Edoardo Corriere, YPARD Policy and Programs Coordinator
I arrived at the FAO headquarters in Rome in September, expecting a finance meeting. What I found at the 2025 Forum of the UNFCCC Standing Committee on Finance felt more like a translation exercise between technical language and lived reality.
As one co-chair said, “We often speak in terms that many people working on the ground won’t understand.” The tension between the systems that move money and the communities that need it underpinned every session.
This year’s forum focused on financing climate-resilient food systems and agriculture. It gathered ministers, representatives from multilateral funds and development banks, farmers’ organizations, Indigenous leaders, researchers and youth.
The core message was simple and uncomfortable: Agriculture is central to climate action, yet smallholders, pastoralists, fishers, youth, women and Indigenous Peoples remain last in line for climate finance.
The problem is not just “more money,” it’s how money moves
A farmer leader from the Georgian Farmers’ Association captured this paradox: farmers are on the frontline of climate impacts, yet at the back of the line for financial support.
Collateral and land tenor requirements are often misaligned with smallholder realities; due diligence and reporting are difficult and loan requirements from banks are often too large or their repayment terms are too rigid. Several speakers converged on the same solution: blend and de-risk finance.
Guarantees, first-loss capital and concessional money can incentivize local banks and micro-finance institutions (MFIs) to finance rural lending. Affordable climate risk insurance, including public, two-tier schemes, helps lenders price risk and helps farmers recover after economic shocks.
But even perfect instruments fail if they can’t reach people. That’s why the forum repeatedly returned to farmer organizations and cooperatives as necessary partners to get transparent, targeted finance to youth and women and others who aren’t part of formal banking.
As a youth delegate with Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD), I know other young people like me don’t want charity; we want bankable pathways that match how we actually farm, trade and innovate.
Inside the FAO headquarters during discussions on climate finance and agrifood systems, surrounded by delegates. Photo by Edoardo Corriere
Policy coherence is not a buzzword; it’s a pipeline
During the forum, ministers and fund representatives were blunt: financing won’t scale on a project-by-project basis. Instead, countries need policy-based, budget-linked pipelines that align Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and sector policies to then show up in annual budgets.
Several people called for country platforms that convene those working across agriculture, and finance to set priorities, structure transactions and track financial results.
Announcements leading up to COP30 emerged as Brazil spotlighted its Ecological Transformation Plan and teased RAIZ (Resilient Agriculture Implementation for net-zero land degradation). Others pointed to Paris Agreement Article 6.8 (non-market approaches) as a potential channel for agriculture and food systems. We must treat agriculture and food systems as central issues within climate policy to meet the UNFCCC Global Goal on Adaptation, as well as goals arosss sustainable financing and loss-and-damage.
Build data systems that prove outcomes
One theme surprised many in the room: models aren’t enough. As an International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) expert argued, investors will finance agriculture when projected benefits are backed by grounded evidence. That requires minimum viable datasets for each value-chain actor, better farm-level monitoring and unique geo-IDs so financiers can verify who receives what, where and with what results.
For youth and community groups, this is a chance for community-run monitoring to document adaptation gains, soil and water outcomes and incomes without surrendering data sovereignty.
Indigenous leaders were crystal clear: we are actors, not beneficiaries. Finance should fund Indigenous-led data collection and respect governance over knowledge —“nothing about us without us.”
Regional realities matter
In small island states like Fiji, food security is both terrestrial and oceanic. Their case study tied agriculture financing to coastal health, culture and agri-tourism. Pastoral systems raised different concerns: a representative from the Horn of Africa noted that livestock is a central part of their economy, yet underfinanced.
Across regions, the message was the same: no one-size-fits-all. We must tailor financial instruments, invest in literacy and meet community needs.
Following the case studies, participants at the forum divided into breakout groups focusing on different key sub-themes related to climate finance. The main takeaway from the group debates I attended was that not all public support is helpful. We debated repurposing environmentally harmful subsidies and using tools like green budgeting or sovereign climate bonds to drive transformation.
This needs to be paired with social protections so reforms don’t punish the most vulnerable. Some countries shared promising governance stories: climate-tagged budgets, inter-ministerial climate committees and negotiated pacts that recycle revenues back into the sector to enable change.
A behind-the-scenes moment inside the FAO plenary hall, capturing the energy and focus as participants prepare for another session on climate and agrifood systems. Photo by Edoardo Corriere
Youth at the table
While attending, I was wearing two hats as I was representing both YPARD and YOUNGO, the Children and Youth Constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. As youth constituencies, we are not neutral observers; many of us are farmers/ growers, agro-entrepreneurs or community organizers.
This vantage point sharpened our reading of the forum. When panelists talked about “access,” we thought of the application forms that often stall our work. When speakers praised insurance, we pictured payouts that arrive after debts are due. When they said “pipeline,” we saw the WhatsApp groups where youth compare notes on micro-loans and broken tractors.
Yet we also saw openings. The forum’s most pragmatic ideas — direct-access windows through cooperatives and local lenders, youth-focused readiness for proposal coaching and financial literacy, open sub-national tracking of who gets funded — came from a coalition of farmers, Indigenous leaders and youth who refused to accept business-as-usual.
These are not romantic slogans. They are implementable design choices.
Notable risks
Two risks kept surfacing – reporting fatigue and compliance. If financial requirements use corporate environmental, social governance (ESG) checklists, smallholders will walk away.
Additionally, in the rush to mobilize private capital, we may underinvest in public goods such as data, local infrastructure and affordable insurance, the things that make private investment viable in the first place.
The forum didn’t deny these tensions; it put them on the table.
The pathway forward
If readers take one message from this, let it be: access to finance is a problem of design, not a lack of money.
Here is one concrete pathway to finance smallholders that the forum’s discussions support:
- De-risk and blend finance: back loans with backing guarantees with working capital, offer simple day-to-day cash loans and revenue-based finance for smallholders and bundle affordable crop/ weather insurance
- Deliver through trusted organizations: contract farmer organizations, Indigenous institutions, local MFIs and savings groups with governance safeguards and age/gender-disaggregated reporting.
- Align policy with money: anchor agrifood priorities in NDCs/NAPs and annual budgets via country platforms that include youth, farmers and Indigenous leaders.
- Prove results locally: fund community-run monitoring, adopt geo-IDs and publish sub-national ledgers of agrifood climate finance.
As youth, we’ll keep pushing for change. And as one Indigenous youth leader reminded all at the forum, our metrics should include quality of life.
If climate finance can’t improve that for the people who grow our food, then it is not working, no matter how elegant the spreadsheets look.
Financing smallholder farmers is not charity. This is how we build resilient food systems that feed people, absorb economic and climate shocks and cut emissions.
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The 8th GLF Investment Case
Most of humanity wants real, meaningful climate action. Now, it’s time to fund that change. At the 8th Investment Case, find out how we can redirect finance away from harmful practices and towards regenerative, community-led solutions.
We’re gathering at COP30– and opening the doors for you to join online – to ignite new investment strategies that benefit communities, nature and investors. Discover successful grassroots projects and join 5,000 changemakers in reshaping the future of finance.
About this session
Join us for this inspirational talk by Isabelle Delas, CEO of LuxFLAG and a seasoned leader in sustainable finance and development law, on how transparency, good governance and impact-driven finance can shape a more inclusive and resilient global economy.
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The 8th GLF Investment Case
Most of humanity wants real, meaningful climate action. Now, it’s time to fund that change. At the 8th Investment Case, find out how we can redirect finance away from harmful practices and towards regenerative, community-led solutions.
We’re gathering at COP30 and opening the doors for you to join online – to ignite new investment strategies that benefit communities, nature and investors. Discover successful grassroots projects and join 5,000 changemakers in reshaping the future of finance.
About this session
The Dragons’ Den offers an opportunity for investors to engage directly with some of the most promising impact funds, financial mechanisms, and nature-positive projects shaping the future of sustainable finance.
More than a pitching arena, the Dragons’ Den is designed as a learning and exchange platform – a place to explore business models, impact rationales and investment strategies that define effective, scalable solutions for people and the planet. For the audience, it’s also a chance to gain practical insights into what makes a compelling project, what drives a strong fit between investors, funds and locally-led projects, and how finance can create real regenerative impact.
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]]>The post Investing in her power: Natasha Garcha on reimagining finance appeared first on Global Landscapes Forum.
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The 8th GLF Investment Case
Most of humanity wants real, meaningful climate action. Now, it’s time to fund that change. At the 8th Investment Case, find out how we can redirect finance away from harmful practices and towards regenerative, community-led solutions.
We’re gathering at COP30 and opening the doors for you to join online – to ignite new investment strategies that benefit communities, nature and investors. Discover successful grassroots projects and join 5,000 changemakers in reshaping the future of finance.
About this session
Join Natasha Garcha, senior director of sustainable finance at Impact Investment Exchange (IIX), for an inspiring conversation on how finance can be a force for inclusion, resilience, and peace. Through pioneering initiatives like the Women’s Livelihood Bond Series and the Orange Bond Initiative, Natasha and her team are reshaping global capital markets to center gender equality and climate action. Drawing from her work across Asia-Pacific, East Africa and the United States, Natasha will share how intersectional and inclusive financial innovation can unlock a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
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- Investing in nature means investing in smallholders, women and Indigenous Peoples, and connecting capital directly with communities
- Technology and AI can accelerate a just transition – but only if it reinforces sovereignty, transparency and community agency
Belém, Brazil (19 November 2025) – On the sidelines of the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), thousands of people gathered in Belém, Brazil, and online to call on global climate finance to catalyze ecosystem restoration by connecting capital directly with communities to secure a future where nature and people thrive.
The 8th GLF Investment Case Symposium: Financing Nature’s Frontlines convened over 200 UN Climate Conference delegates in Belém and 4,140 participants online from 148 countries. It opened the doors of COP30 to a wide global audience of practitioners, investors, policymakers and business leaders looking to streamline economic benefits to smallholders and communities.
Throughout the day, discussions focused on transformative finance mechanisms, AI tools and strategies to bridge investment pipelines and erode silos and power imbalances. From biodiversity credits in Colombia to Brazil’s Tropical Forest Finance Facility, speakers highlighted how local, grassroots action is redefining the future of conservation and sustainable economies.
Shaping sustainable finance: Voices at the 8th GLF Investment Case
“Our ambition is very clear: to be a place of reference where impact, resilience and investments meet, where ideas become action and where nature-positive investments scale. We want Luxembourg to be a hub where innovative finance mechanisms are tested, refined and deployed, and where global partnerships are forged to accelerate change. Let’s work all together to build the pipeline, connect maturity stages and unlock capital for the landscapes that need it most. The future of nature-based investments depends on our ability to collaborate across sectors, cultures and disciplines,” – Serge Wilmes, Minister of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity and Minister for the Civil Service of Luxembourg
For sustainable management, we have to think of how to make forests valuable… TFFF will not and should not replace any source of funds. We are not saying this is the mother of all the facilities, and everybody else goes there. This is meant to complement and bring more money to support forests, because we need more money.” – Garo Batmanian, Director-General of Brazil’s Forest Service and the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF).
“I’m hearing this whole conference COP30) that carbon is the king. In my opinion, it is not, because we have to see this broader perspective that is a collective thing. What we call nature is a bunch of great assets: the biodiversity, the ecosystems and payment services.” – Bruna Rezende, Founder & CEO, IRIS
“My people have a saying in the Amazon that the man on the red doesn’t care about the green, which means that when you don’t have the economic means to resist your own territory, you’re forced to exploit the same nature that you depend upon. Because now the only asset that I have is trees. I’m going to sell them – I need money now.” – Gabriel Nunes, Science Lead, GainForest
“We’re talking about climate change in three years, but we don’t even have that much time. Seriously, people need to make big changes. Big investments. (…) We need to build a relationship of trust with those who are leading the fight against climate change. And Indigenous peoples are major players in this fight.”
“In the future, we will not need oil, money, gold, or any of that stuff. We will need water.” – Josimara Baré, Coordinator, Rutî Fund
“The challenges we face are interconnected, and so must our solutions be, inspired by the spirit of the Rio Conventions, which calls for inclusive and science-based action. Luxembourg is committed to deepening its engagement in this field. Finance must serve regeneration, not depletion. It must be rooted in values: inclusion, equity, stewardship and science-based decision making.” – Thomas Schoos, Director, General Ministry of Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, Luxembourg Government.
“CIFOR-ICRAF brings world-class scientific research, modeling and spatial analysis, while the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) offers trusted policy advisory roles, institutional capacity building and a commitment to delivering bankable project outcomes. Together with GGGI, we are building the pipelines, partnerships, and investments required to restore landscapes and drive inclusive, climate-smart growth.” – Beria Leimona, Theme Leader, Climate Change, Energy and Low-Carbon Development, CIFOR-ICRAF
The 8th GLF Investment Case Symposium forged new global connections and showcased how these partnerships are vital to accelerating progress toward our shared climate goals.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
- Find photos from The 8th GLF Investment Case Symposium on our Flickr
- Explore more press materials about the GLF at COP30 in our Media Room
- For more information, schedule interviews or obtain expert commentaries, contact Kelly Quintero (quintero@cifor-icraf.org)
ABOUT THE GLF
The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) is the world’s largest knowledge-led platform on integrated land use, connecting people with a shared vision to create productive, profitable, equitable and resilient landscapes. It is led by the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), in collaboration with its co-founders UNEP and the World Bank, and its charter members. Learn more at www.globallandscapesforum.org.
ABOUT THE LUXEMBOURG–GLF FINANCE FOR NATURE PLATFORM
The Luxembourg–GLF Finance for Nature Platform is a partnership between the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) to mainstream investments in sustainable land use and climate. The platform aims to shift financial flows towards sustainable land use models that are sustainable, equitable, inclusive and profitable not only boost economic returns but also to help drastically increase funding to combat climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation. Learn more at www.globallandscapesforum.org/luxembourg-glf-platform/
The post COP30: How to finance real, meaningful climate action by 2035 appeared first on Global Landscapes Forum.
]]>The post Eleven country delegations join the launch of the first AI marketplace to bridge capital to communities at COP30 (EN·FR·SP) appeared first on Global Landscapes Forum.
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- Luxembourg announced Rio Changemakers as a cornerstone of its new ambitious Climate Nexus Investment Program, committing EUR 320 million over the next five years to advance transparent, high-integrity, locally-led nature-based solutions
- Eleven ministers and high representatives joined the High-Level Roundtable at COP30, demonstrating strong international support for the launch of Rio Changemakers, an AI-powered marketplace unlocking private investment in climate, biodiversity, land and community solutions
- This one-of-a-kind initiative aims to bridge global investors with on-the-ground projects, especially those led by Indigenous Peoples and local communities, strengthening the synergies of the three Rio Conventions and accelerating restorative finance and nature-based solutions in the Global South
(Updated: 21 November 2025)
Belém, Brazil (19 November 2025) – Today, the Government of Luxembourg and the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) announced Rio Changemakers at the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (COP30). This one-of-a-kind AI-powered marketplace will connect investors, funds and projects with high-integrity, locally-led climate and nature solutions.
Co-developed by Luxembourg and the GLF and supported by a growing number of countries and stakeholders, the new initiative responds to a major funding gap, with less than 15 percent of climate and nature finance currently reaching local actors. The platform’s AI matchmaking engine will curate investment pipelines, linking projects to finance and technical assistance to ensure they are bankable and impact-ready.
“This roundtable marks the official launch of Rio Changemakers – a bold, inclusive and science-guided initiative designed to unlock private investment across climate, biodiversity, land and community. Powered by AI and rooted in partnership, Rio Changemakers is more than a marketplace. It is a bridge – connecting high-integrity, locally-led solutions with the capital, capacity and collaboration they need to thrive,” said H.E. Serge Wilmes, Minister of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity of Luxembourg.
“Let us lay the foundation for an annual follow-up and stocktaking mechanism to track ambition, implementation and impact. This will help ensure accountability, transparency and continuous learning. Let us work together to ensure that nature-based solutions are not only morally right but financially viable, because investing in nature is investing in our shared future. Luxembourg may be small in size, but we are strong in resolve. To us, leadership is not about dominance – it is about service. It is about showing up when it matters most,” he added.
“The interaction between people and nature, where these intelligences can contribute, is not an easy task as the high biological and cultural diversity clearly demands complex decision-making systems. Count on us to build robust models that reduce risks and allow institutions access to reliable funding and, above all, funding that promotes synergy across territories,” said Alexandre Dias Monteiro, Minister of Industry, Trade and Energy, Cabo Verde.
“This initiative will improve decision making and coordination, assess risks, streamline investment, ensure the availability of data and help us ensure transparency and accountability. If you could make it affordable, this initiative can connect the global market and enhance the climate resilience of vulnerable countries,” said AKM Sohel, Additional Secretary and Wing Chief of the United Nations Wing and Chair of International Climate Finance Cell at the Economic Relations Division (ERD) of the Ministry of Finance, Bangladesh.
“I applaud the creation of the Rio Changemakers. It is so important to generate innovative changes in the world as we see it, and there’s so much need for financial support in the [Global] South. I see this as a great opportunity for the South to match with the North. I believe this can help us support the financial needs, which are enormous,” said Edwin Castellanos, Deputy Minister of Environment, Guatemala.
“The initiative from Luxembourg has a potential positive impact on Ethiopia. We can proudly establish a new partnership, a seed that we can nurture together in the times to come,” said Mulugeta Worku, the Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration (FOLUR), from the Ministry of Planning & Development, Ethiopia.
“We have to use AI, we know it. It’s a learning process. In private finance, we can see how the Rio Changemakers is useful. Such a matchmaking platform is an interesting application to bring in more private capital for the three Rio Conventions,” said Felix Wertli, Ambassador for the Environment, Switzerland.
“Tunisia is ready to collaborate on this initiative. A global marketplace based on AI can broaden access to capital, improve project visibility, reduce transaction costs and strengthen trust with investors,” said Habib Abid, Minister of Environment, Tunisia.
Following COP30, Rio Changemakers will enter a 12-month pilot phase and be fully actionable by COP31.
Ministers from countries and organizations participated in the launch roundtable event, conveying support:
- Serge Wilmes, Minister of Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, and Thomas Schoos, Director General, Ministry of Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, Grand Duchy of LUXEMBOURG
- Rita Mesquita, National Secretary for Biodiversity, Forests and Animal Rights, BRAZIL
- Alexandre Dias Monteiro, Minister of Industry, Trade and Energy, CABO VERDE
- Habib Abid, Minister of Environment, TUNISIA
- Felix Wertli, Ambassador for the Environment, SWITZERLAND
- Karin Jehle, Office of Environment, LIECHTENSTEIN
- AKM Sohel, Additional Secretary and Wing Chief of the United Nations and Chair of International Climate Finance Cell at the Economic Relations Division (ERD) of the Ministry of Finance, BANGLADESH
- Edwin Castellanos, Deputy Minister of Environment, and Rita Mishaan, Head of Delegation, Climate Change Negotiations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, GUATEMALA
- Mulugeta Worku, the Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration (FOLUR), from the Ministry of Planning & Development, ETHIOPIA
- Amah Atutonu, Director of Forest Resources, Ministry of the Environment and Forest Resources, TOGO
- John Colmey, Senior Strategic Adviser, Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) and Senior Director, CIFOR-ICRAF
- Sandra Valenzuela, Director, WWF Colombia
- Andrea Alvarez, Fund Leader, fama re.capital
- Ysa Calderon, Founder and CEO, Sumak Kawsay (Peru)
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NOTES TO EDITORS
- Download photos of the launch and the Rio Changemakers brochure here
- Explore more press materials about the GLF at COP30 in our Media Room
- For more information or to arrange interviews, contact Kelly Quintero (k.quintero@cifor-icraf.org)
ABOUT THE LUXEMBOURG–GLF FINANCE FOR NATURE PLATFORM
The Luxembourg–GLF Finance for Nature Platform is a partnership between the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) to mainstream investments in sustainable land use and climate. The platform aims to shift financial flows towards sustainable land use models that are sustainable, equitable, inclusive and profitable not only boost economic returns but also to help drastically increase funding to combat climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation. Learn more at www.globallandscapesforum.org/luxembourg-glf-platform/
ABOUT THE GLF
The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) is the world’s largest knowledge-led platform on integrated land use, connecting people with a shared vision to create productive, profitable, equitable and resilient landscapes. It is led by the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), in collaboration with its co-founders UNEP and the World Bank, and its charter members. Learn more at www.globallandscapesforum.org.
The post Eleven country delegations join the launch of the first AI marketplace to bridge capital to communities at COP30 (EN·FR·SP) appeared first on Global Landscapes Forum.
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