LONDON, England—There was standing room only at several of the sessions of the Global Landscapes Forum: The Investment Case event held here on June 10.

As investment bankers and fund managers rubbed shoulders with agriculture and forestry researchers, representatives from advocacy groups and government agencies, there was a sense that momentum is growing to connect the flows of available capital with the needs of local communities, businesses and governments to achieve sustainable land use in developing countries.

Many participants linked the engaging mood to this year’s intersection between international efforts to set sustainable development goals for the next 15 years and to find a global agreement to fight climate change.

“A very significant part of the solution can be found through providing fair, affordable, long-term capital to smallholder farmers,” said Peter Holmgren, director general of Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)  – one of the event’s coordinating partners.

“From a financial, broader development and public good perspective, this seems to make sense. We need to explain what needs to be done without killing the idea with high transaction costs,” he added.

THE REAL WORK BEGINS

Having some of the world’s largest investment banks and agricultural commodities buyers display their commitment to sustainable land use at the Global Landscapes Forum and other events is a welcome first step; delivering on those pledges in a verifiable way is another story.

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