Clarmondial AG

We are pleased to announce that the Food Securities Fund Accountable Cocoa & Coffee Tranche (ACCT) has received initial Green Climate Fund endorsement and Non Objection Letters from leading origins Côte d'Ivoire & Uganda. We look forward to continuing to advance with additional strategic governments and partners on this exciting initiative. https://lnkd.in/dEZramSC

Last week, Clarmondial AG Co-Founder and Director, Tanja Havemann, participated in a panel at the Environmental Finance EMEA Natural Capital event alongside Darius Sarshar (SLM Partners), Francesca Parris (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero), Michael Strzelecki, CFA (Manulife Investment Management), Michael Hurley (Environmental Finance). It was great to see strong participation, especially from larger institutional investors interested in nature finance. The event came on the back of intensive travel to the Middle East & Asia, meeting with potential and current borrowers of the Food Securities Fund & Biosphere Integrity Fund, existing business partners, and investors. A few key takeaways from these discussions and the panel:   1️⃣ Strong rising demand for forestry & agricultural products – Companies in emerging and developing markets are actively exploring biochar and biomass energy from forest and agricultural waste, alongside investments in local sourcing and value addition in emerging markets & developing markets. This presents an exciting investment opportunity, but responsible finance and technical support will be critical to ensuring implementation is positive - for businesses, local communities and the environment.   2️⃣ Institutional investors are increasingly integrating climate & nature in investments – From food security to cost-effective “green infrastructure”, there is growing momentum—particularly in Europe, the Middle East & Asia—toward embedding nature and climate risks and opportunities into new allocation strategies and in the management of existing investments.   3️⃣ Blending carbon credit and non-carbon credit returns – Investors are looking for strategies that go beyond a “carbon credit only” approach. This means integrating carbon-related funding in ways that enhance additionality while ensuring a diversified and credible investment strategy.   It's encouraging to see nature finance & natural capital investing gaining traction— and exciting to get confirmation that the expertise and networks that Clarmondial AG has built are valuable!   #NatureFinance #ImpactInvesting #Forestry #ClimateInvestment #SustainableAgriculture #InstitutionalInvestors

Last week in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Clarmondial's Partner for East and Southern Africa, Herbert Hatanga, had the privilege of speaking at the African Fine Coffees Association (AFCA) Conference on a panel hosted by Rainforest Alliance, where the discussion explored how to accelerate sustainable, regenerative agriculture in Africa’s coffee sector through partnerships and innovative financing.   Herbert shared insights on financing green businesses, emphasizing the need for commercially viable funding models to scale climate-smart solutions. It was inspiring to see that many businesses are already integrating regenerative practices—the challenge now is unlocking financial mechanisms that ensure long-term resilience and impact.   The momentum is there. Now, it’s about scaling. We are looking forward to continuing this critical conversation and driving actionable solutions for a more sustainable coffee industry in Africa.   #SustainableFinance #RegenerativeAgriculture #ClimateSmartCoffee #AFCA2025

Thanks to EIT Food for thought leadership on regenerative agriculture

Join Tanja Havemann Clarmondial AG Darius Sarshar SLM Partners Michael Strzelecki, CFA Manulife Investment Management Francesca Parris Tim McNeill at the upcoming Environmental Finance Michael Hurley Phil Annesley Natural Capital Investment EMEA conference in London on March 4th - we look forward to an engaging event #efnatcap

Thanks to EIT Food Katherine Foster for co-hosting this event with us during Building Bridges - we were pleased to bring in existing and new partners & collaborators Unilever Simon Duchatelet Swiss Re Paul Hammer Stiftung Fourfold Valerie Remoquillo-Jenni International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Zebra Impact Ventures Foodvalley World Economic Forum OP2B WBCSD – World Business Council for Sustainable Development Stefania Avanzini LandPrint together to discuss financing #regenag - thanks also to Katherine Keddie 🟢 for her support

Insights from the field: Ucayali, Peru Last week, Kaspar Baumann and Natasha Barantseva conducted due diligence in Peru’s Ucayali region, visiting one of the Food Securities Fund’s investees ahead of a potential second loan cycle. The company sources cocoa for export through regional offices that work closely with thousands of smallholder farmers.   During farm visits, the team assessed the investee’s positive environmental and social contributions alongside their business practices. The investee's agronomists support smallholder farmers on implementing sustainable practices such as pruning and planting shade trees, in order to enhance soil fertility, reduce pests and diseases, and promote resilience - all while enabling farmers to thrive.   The visit provided valuable insights into the company’s operations and current market conditions. Year-round farmer engagement, attentive supply chain management, and volatile cocoa prices underscore the need for season-long working capital - precisely what the Food Securities Fund is designed to offer.   #ImpactInvestments #SustainableAgriculture

Alongside the 2025 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Clarmondial AG, Unilever, Bunge, EIT Food, Stiftung Fourfold, and LGND AI, Inc. hosted an event discussing value chain partnerships, finance, and technology as important factors in the transition to regenerative agriculture. 🌱 Collaboration for Regenerative Agriculture Unilever’s Chief Supply Chain Officer Willem Uijen highlighted the long-term impact of public-private collaboration “By working closely with and empowering our supply chain partners, we can accelerate the adoption of regenerative agricultural practices at the core of business operations. Leveraging strategic investments across our supply chain, including through our €1 billion Climate & Nature Fund, we aim to unlock sustainable financing solutions that drive scalable regenerative practices, protect ecosystems, and strengthen the resilience and livelihoods of farmers across the agricultural value chain.” Bunge’s CSO Robert Coviello shared optimism on the drive to integrate sustainability objectives into business operations “In recent years, I’ve seen a shift from big promises to real mobilization within organizations. At Bunge, the work mobilized to achieve our 2025 deforestation free commitment gives me confidence. At the same time, it is crucial to keep the success of the farmers at the forefront of discussions when making commitments and building partnerships.” 💡 Philanthropy and Innovative Financing Valerie Remoquillo-Jenni, CEO of Stiftung Fourfold, emphasized the critical role of philanthropic capital in taking risks and scaling solutions, stating “Today’s computational capacities and advanced analytics are revolutionizing food composition and quality, leading to better farming practices, healthier diets and more productive soils. Funders should seize this opportunity to collaborate to ensure systemic, scalable and equitable impact.” Tanja Havemann, Founder and Director of Clarmondial AG, highlighted how catalytic capital, such as the EU Climate KIC’s support for the Food Securities Fund, has enabled the launch of innovative financing models that private investors can scale. Katherine Foster, EIT Food emphasized “Unlocking finance for regenerative agriculture requires collaboration across the value chain—aligning data, blended finance, and catalytic capital to de-risk investments, scale impact, and enable the transition.” 🧠 The Role of AI AI startups like LGND AI, Inc. are equipping stakeholders with decision-making tools to improve land use and resource management. Avery Cohn explained that current analytics approaches are often costly and fragmented, which limits broader adoption. Streamlining AI-driven solutions is expected to make sustainability a core component of supply chain management.

Check out our reflections post #WEF2025 and some of the initiatives we will be working on this year: https://lnkd.in/dbx-YfBE

Congratulations to the WeInvest network! Natasha Barantseva