REDD+ Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation

Halting deforestation: approaches and tools for forest-positive commodity value chains

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF) are pleased to share all the materials related to three online events held in September and October under the common topic of “Halting deforestation: approaches and tools for forest-positive commodity value chains.”

ABOUT THE SEMINAR SERIES:

In tropical countries, land-use conversion to agriculture and pastureland accounts for approximately 73% of deforestation. 40% of this deforestation is attributable to pressures related to the demand for and production of commercial agricultural commodities such as beef, soy, palm oil, cocoa, timber, paper/pulp and coffee. In some of the most active fronts of deforestation, land use changes coincide with the expansion of these internationally traded commodities.

Over the past two decades, attention to the impact of demand for these ‘forest risk’ commodities in driving forest loss has increased both in consumer and producer countries. Many consumer countries have begun to identify actions to mitigate the negative consequences of their consumption of these commodities through global initiatives such as environmental standards, import regulations, due diligence processes, and continuous awareness-raising. Producer countries – boosted by more than ten years of REDD+ and, more recently, by the Paris Agreement - recognize the pressing need to address agricultural production practices to reduce deforestation and carbon emissions while pursuing social inclusion and benefit-sharing.

Corrective actions to address the impact of global commodity production and trade on forests and climate change have been taken by leading private sector actors since the early 2000s. The discourse is now evolving from deforestation-free supply chains to forest positive strategies, de-risking supply chains through certification and due-diligence processes and highlighting the opportunities of sustainable supply chains and climate finance investments.

As they are responsible for up to one-third of global GHG emissions, global food systems also offer emerging opportunities to act as prominent climate mitigation action, and may boost synergies between forest positive agriculture, climate ambitions, and forest conservation.

In this global context, FAO’s REDD+ Team and the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) are convening a seminar series sharing experiences and perspectives from both producer countries and consumer countries on lessons learned and emerging opportunities for forest positive commodity value chains, with three sessions reflecting on issues related to integrated landscape approaches for forest positive agriculture, opportunities provided by climate finance, and tools for assessing and mitigating forest risks along agricultural value chains. This seminar series will build on concepts and approaches for addressing deforestation in the production, trade and marketing of forest risk agricultural commodities and will emphasize policymakers' role to support a transition to forest-positive agriculture, and how climate finance can be catalysed to support this transition.

Session 1: Inclusive forest-positive agriculture through integrated landscape approaches: the role of government

Date and time: 8 September 2021, 14:00-15:30 CEST

Theme: Forest-positive supply chains and landscapes approach

Key questions: How can integrated landscape approaches facilitate the path towards forest-positive agriculture? What role should government play? How is REDD+ supporting this pathway?

Outcomes:

  • Provide an overview of strategic trade-offs among forest conservation, sustainable forest and land management, food security, agricultural policies, climate change mitigation and adaptation;
  • Share experiences and lessons learned from countries’ efforts to design and implement integrated landscape approaches for forest-positive agriculture and to align agricultural policies and investments to forest conservation and sustainable land management;
  • Identify what role governments can play in advancing inclusive forest-positive agriculture through integrated landscape approaches, and how REDD+ is supporting these approaches;
  • Soft launch of the upcoming FAO technical paper on halting deforestation through forest positive agriculture and “deforestation-free” commodities: the role of governments.

 

Recordings:

The session recordings are available in:

Speakers:

  • Takashi Yamazaki, International Forestry Cooperation Office, Forestry Agency (MAFF) of Japan;
  • Mette Wilkie, Forestry Division, FAO; 
  • Astrid Agostini, REDD+/National Forest Monitoring Cluster, FAO Forestry Division; 
  • Verónica Reynoso de la Mora, Ministry of Agriculture, Mexico; 
  • Jaqueline de Carvalho Peçanha, Pará State Government, Brazil; 
  • Aka Malan, Conseil Régional du Cavally, Côte d’Ivoire; 
  • Pascale Bonzom, Good Growth Partnership, UNDP; 
  • Edward Davey, Food and Land Use Coalition; Co-Director, WRI UK.
  • Moderator: Kristin DeValue, REDD+ Team.

 

Presentations:

 

Web Story: https://bit.ly/ForestPos1_webstory

Session 2: De-risking agriculture supply chains – Including forests in due diligence processes

Date and time: 22 September 2021, 15:00-16:30 CEST

Theme: Due diligence processes to de-risk agriculture supply chains

Key question: How can due diligence processes in the agricultural sector reduce risks of deforestation and related adverse impacts?

Registration link: https://bit.ly/ForestPos2

Outcomes:

  • Provide an overview of existing guidance for private sector due diligence in agriculture and emerging legislative requirements in consumer countries to ensure responsible business conduct/due diligence in agricultural supply chains as they relate to forests and climate change;
  • Share experiences and lessons learned from producer countries’ experiences improving due diligence and traceability in the agriculture and forestry sectors;
  • Identify needs for technical support to actors in producer countries to effectively respond to emerging measures and strategically attract responsible investment.

 

Recordings:

The session recordings are available in:

 

Speakers: 

  • Astrid Agostini, Coordinator, REDD+/National Forest Monitoring Cluster, FAO Forestry Division;
  • Naoki Hayasaka, Deputy Director, International Forestry Cooperation Office, Forestry Agency, MAFF;
  • Tomislav Ivancic, Advisor, Global Value Chains & Responsible Business Conduct, FAO ;
  • Caroline Merle, Forestry Officer, REDD+ team, Forestry Division, FAO.
  • Hugo Maria Schally, Head of the Multilateral Environmental Cooperation Unit, Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission;
  • Rodolfo Rodriguez - Manager of the Zero-deforestation Agreements, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADS), Colombia;
  • Estefania Unfried, Asesora de la Dirección de Inversión del Ministerio de Comercio Exterior de Costa Rica y Punto Nacional de Contacto de Costa Rica ante la OCDE;
  • Sheam Satkuru, Director of Operations, International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO);
  • Ethan Budiansky, Director of Environment, World Cocoa Foundation.
  • Leah Samberg, Scientist, Global Policy, Rainforest Alliance, Accountability Framework Initiative
  • Alain Karsenty, Researcher, French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD).
  • Moderator: Sophia Gnych, Policy Analyst, Centre for Responsible Business Conduct (RBC), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

 

Presentations:

Session 3: Climate finance opportunities to foster forest-positive agriculture

Date and time: 20 October 2021, 14:00-15:30 CEST

Theme: Climate finance to foster forest-positive supply chains

Key question: How can governments use emerging climate finance opportunities to enable forest positive agriculture supply chains in the context of achieving their national climate and development objectives?

Registration link: https://bit.ly/ForestPos3

Outcomes:

  • Provide an overview of opportunities to use climate finance, including REDD+ funding mechanisms, to develop forest-positive agriculture;
  • Provide an overview of how carbon finance can incentivize private sector investment in forest-positive agriculture, conservation and restoration of forests;
  • Provide an overview of advanced technical requirements to improve access to climate finance, including accounting methods, clear carbon rights and distribution of benefits;
  • Share experiences and lessons learned from countries’ efforts to utilize climate finance as a catalyst for scaling ups and implement forest-positive agriculture, and demonstrate how this supports national climate ambitions and transformational change

Recordings:

The session recordings are available in:

English: https://youtu.be/U5Gkh1abZfc

Spanish: https://youtu.be/8EpR5pbqL0Y

French: https://youtu.be/lkvMB2VE-3M 

 

Speakers: 

  • Takashi Yamazaki, Director of the International Forestry Cooperation Office, Forestry Agency, MAFF; 
  • Astrid Agostini, REDD+/NFM Cluster coordinator, Forestry Division, FAO. 
  • Lucio Santos, Climate Finance REDD+ Officer, REDD+/National Forest Monitoring Cluster, Forestry Division, FAO; 
  • Naoko Takahashi, Forestry Officer, REDD+/National Forest Monitoring Cluster, Forestry Division, FAO.
  • Philippe Crete, Fondaction, Principal advisor, Alternative Investments 
  • Ayaka Fujiwara, Climate Investment Specialist, Private Sector Facility, Green Climate Fund (GCF)  
  • Martin Mónaco, Director Nacional de Bosques, Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible, Argentina 
  • Martin Illesca, Director General de Proyectos con Financiamiento Externo y Cooperación Internacional , Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible, Argentina  
  • Djoko Hendratto, Executive Director of The Indonesia Environment Fund (IEF), Indonesia  
  • Moderator: Ivo Mulder, Head of the Climate Finance Unit, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 

 

Presentations: