Library | ESG issues
Agriculture, Forestry & Other Land Use
Land use for agriculture, forestry, and related activities plays a critical role in food security, biodiversity, and climate impact. As a major contributor to global emissions, land use faces challenges such as resource depletion, waste, and chemical overuse, which threaten ecosystems and long-term productivity. Sustainable practices are essential for maintaining soil health, ensuring food supply, preserving forests, and supporting farmers and rural communities. Effective land management can mitigate environmental and social risks while creating opportunities for innovation and long-term economic stability.
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Can the emergence of AgFinTech revolutionize agrifinance? Lessons from five case studies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America
This report examines how digital innovations address barriers to inclusive agricultural credit in developing countries. Through five case studies, it highlights the role of agri-data stacks and AI-powered analytics in reducing information asymmetries, improving risk management, and lowering service delivery costs for smallholder farmers and agri-MSMEs.
Investing in Southern Africa’s bioeconomy: A regional pathway for value creation, resilience and green industrialisation
This report examines the potential for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to transition from raw resource extraction to a value-creating bioeconomy. Identifying six high-growth sectors, it highlights opportunities for green industrialisation and advocates for regional policy harmonisation and innovative financing through the African Bioeconomy Finance Hub.
The case of EUDR in Ethiopia: How to secure climate, trade and development goals, and overcome risks of market exclusion
This research evaluates economic and financial risks to Ethiopia’s coffee sector from the European Union Deforestation Regulation. It identifies potential market exclusion for smallholders, significant foreign exchange losses, and financial vulnerabilities, while recommending integrated incentive mechanisms like carbon credits and improved cooperative structures to support compliance and livelihoods.
Forests & Finance Coalition
Forests & Finance is a database tracking billions in capital flows to forest-risk commodity companies. It provides transparency on financial links to deforestation and human rights risks.
Strengthening synergies between JREDD+ and sustainable supply chains to protect tropical forests
This white paper examines the integration of Jurisdictional REDD+ (JREDD+) programmes with corporate supply chain sustainability. It identifies pathways for corporate engagement, addresses structural barriers, and provides recommendations for recognising jurisdictional progress within sustainability frameworks to scale investment and enhance forest conservation outcomes in commodity production landscapes.
Adaptation Insights 02: Investing in nature: Pathways to scale investments in nature-based solutions for climate adaptation
This report examines pathways to scale nature-based solutions for climate adaptation, highlighting their superior benefit-cost ratios compared to traditional infrastructure. It identifies strategies to mobilise private capital, utilise standardised valuation metrics, and leverage carbon markets to support long-term maintenance and resilience across vulnerable regions, particularly in Africa.
FAIRR Investor Tool: Agriculture Water Risks
A specialised resource by the FAIRR Initiative that helps investors assess the financial materiality of water scarcity in the livestock sector, offering data on hidden costs and company-specific water risks.
Samenwerken aan een duurzaam en toekomstbestendig agrosysteem
This Sociaal-Economische Raad report provides a strategic framework for a sustainable Dutch agro-system. It advocates for goal-oriented steering, improved chain profitability, and institutional reform through a new public-private organisation. The strategy seeks to ensure economic viability within ecological boundaries, fostering a resilient agricultural sector by 2050.
Miracle crops? Limited potential, serious risks: the environmental case for caution on intermediate and degraded-land biofuel crops in Europe
This T&E report evaluates intermediate and degraded-land crops for EU biofuels. It finds limited domestic supply potential and significant environmental risks, including emissions from fertilisers and land-use change. T&E recommends strict safeguards, a 70% greenhouse gas saving threshold, and prioritising these fuels for the aviation sector only.
Deforestation-free Transition (DEFT) Pathway
The DEFT Pathway is a framework developed by Global Canopy and Profundo to help financial institutions categorise and assess corporate progress in eliminating deforestation and ecosystem conversion.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory: Agriculture Sector Emissions
A US EPA resource providing detailed data on greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector, including livestock, manure, and soil management trends since 1990.
SBTN Corporate Case Studies Library
A collection of practical case studies detailing how leading companies apply the Science Based Targets Network framework to set science-based targets for nature, land, and freshwater.
U.S. Drought Monitor
A weekly tool monitoring drought location and severity across the U.S., produced by the NDMC, USDA, and NOAA. It offers essential data for assessing agricultural risk and water stress.
Global warming and the National Cattlemen’s Association 1986–1996
This research examines the National Cattlemen’s Association’s response to global warming evidence between 1986 and 1996. The organisation prioritised strategic communications and public relations over production changes to mitigate methane emissions. By reframing scientific findings and challenging critics, the NCA aimed to protect beef demand and industry interests.
Landscape of technical assistance to agri-SMEs: Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean
This report maps the technical assistance ecosystem for agri-SMEs in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. It identifies structural gaps in information, pre-investment funding, and coordination. The analysis offers strategies to strengthen the ecosystem, highlighting the importance of nature integration and supporting local providers to improve investment readiness.
Pricing in resilience: The future of financial services for soil health
This research examines how agricultural finance, markets and policy are transitioning soil health from a conservation goal to a financial metric. It details five forces driving structural carbon demand and seven financial innovations, including carbon warrants and digital verification, designed to reprice risk and unlock institutional capital for regenerative agriculture.
