CASH Coalition

Thank you to everyone who attended our at-capacity event on the promise, and puzzle, of smallholder agroforestry finance at #ClimateWeekNYC. Particular thanks to our erudite and deeply knowledgeable panelists - John Mundy (One Acre Fund), Emma van de Ven (Acorn Rabobank), Ricardo Bayon (Encourage Capital) and Jackson (Jack) Kimani (Climate Action Platform for Africa (CAP-A)) - and expert moderator, Lakshmi Viswanathan . Thank you too to Matthew Becker for generously facilitating our access to the venue at BDO, and for the logistical support of his team. The session drew on some insights from our agroforestry model, which CASH developed to more systematically understand trade-offs, paths to scale, and options for optimization to make smallholder agroforestry projects successful. Read more about it here 👇🏼 https://lnkd.in/g-eVBehr

55.6 million trees distributed in 2024... in Kenya alone! Incredible work by One Acre Fund. Feeding farming families and quality soils!

🌍 Reflecting on #NYClimateWeek 2024 🌍 I thought this year’s Climate Week in New York brought renewed urgency and some honest reflections, but it also highlighted a crucial gap: we’re still not going deep enough on the challenges and solutions for food systems transformation, especially when it comes to smallholder farmers. A couple of key takeaways for me: 1️⃣ There are real barriers preventing food systems transformation—especially for smallholders. Climate finance discussions need to be more inclusive, ubiquitous, and consider the unique needs of those most affected by climate change. And be clear eyed at the massive gaps that need to be addressed to support a just transition. Goodwill and good ideas won’t be enough. Lofty food systems transformation goals must also take into account the rigour (and funding) required of implementers to deliver with communities at scale. The CASH Coalition event that was amazingly over subscribed despite a fairly niche discussion on agroforestry and carbon finance, and the Rockefeller Rex Raimond presentation on their excellent regen finance report @ Regenhouse, were glimmers of hope. 2️⃣ Logistical challenges in New York made it difficult to access some of the most relevant events, which unfortunately perpetuates access and equity issues (and meant I was constantly feeling intense fomo). When critical voices are missing from the conversation—particularly those from the global south and smallholder communities—we lose valuable insights into creating more just and inclusive solutions. Lucy Wallace moderated an excellent panel with a range of panelists including farmers (Gerardo Martínez ), financiers (GEF) and enablers (FAO) which was both refreshingly clear eyed and brought a great response from the audience showing lots of appetite for a more inclusive yet diverse range of views across the multiple layers of our sector. More of this please! Too few senior decision makers in key philanthropic organisations were present in these more honest moments however. I also really wish NY would consider holding UNGA, CGI and NYCW separately! Despite these challenges, I try to remain optimistic, but we have to dig deeper and get honest with ourselves about what it takes to make change happen and find the best ways to communicate that change - through the very noisy New York and beyond. #ClimateAction #SmallholderFarmers #ClimateFinance #FoodSystemsTransformation #NYClimateWeek #AccessAndEquity

Kudos to our colleagues at Climate Action Platform for Africa (CAP-A) for their research modeling the potential livelihood impacts of solar irrigation and agroforestry (in collaboration with another CASH member, One Acre Fund) for smallholder farmers. This is invaluable work and has been essential in developing CASH's agroforestry model. We look forward to further iterations and insights as this critical work continues!

Rooters around the globe have been celebrating Root Capital's 25th anniversary with Days of Service -- which some of our Cambridge (US) team did today at The Food Project (TFP), a longtime Root partner focused on youth empowerment and healthy local food systems. We rolled up our sleeves, flexed our wheelbarrow muscles, learned more about no-till ag practices, and marveled at the #regenerativeagriculture throughline from our agri-SGB clients in Africa, LatAm and Indonesia to the fields right here in Massachusetts. With thanks to Farmers Asher and Zane and to our host Heath, and a shout out to Root's own founding Board chair, the inimitable Jonathan Rosenthal, who'd recently served as interim CEO at TFP. Wishing you all luck with the rest of the harvest season and with your upcoming Shindig, and grateful for a peer org right here in the Boston area that upholds Root's own Values of Dignity, Local Power, Innovation, Humility, Togetherness, and Tenacity.

Congratulations to our colleagues at Digital Green for their new paper (co-published with Microsoft Research) on scaling AI services for smallholder farmers. Leveraging their open source farmer.chat bot, Digital Green is leading the development of AI in this space and their work is already demonstrating significant potential. Kudos!

Our breakfast event on inclusive climate finance that empowers smallholder livelihoods is live on the #ClimateWeekNYC website. Pre-register to join us for a fascinating discussion and meet folks engaged in advancing solutions at the nexus of poverty and climate! https://lnkd.in/dT8zfyrG

I've spent the past few months helping the CASH Coalition create a pro forma agroforestry model to better understand key financial and economic factors that drive success for smallholder agroforestry projects. We'll be talking through insights from the model and hearing from experts with decades of on-the-ground experience implementing these projects on September 26th during NY Climate Week. Registration information is below. Come listen, share your perspectives, and connect with some amazing people in the agroforestry space. A special thank you to Jonathan Faull, Lakshmi Viswanathan, and Heiner Baumann for supporting this work so tirelessly. We can't wait to share it with all of you!

The CASH Coalition is excited to host a breakfast meeting on 26 September during New York Climate Week on empowering smallholder livelihoods through climate action. Drawing on insights from our agroforestry model, on-the-ground perspectives accrued through decades of support for smallholder livelihoods, and insights from financiers and project developers, we look forward to a rich discussion and making new connections. For more information and to request an invitation >> https://lnkd.in/gQre8WUe Discussion participants include: Michael Jenkins (President and CEO, Forest Trends Association), Jackson (Jack) Kimani (Co-Founder, Climate Action Platform for Africa (CAP-A)), Lakshmi Viswanathan (Carbon and Climate Finance Lead, CASH Coalition), John Mundy (Director of Global Partnerships, One Acre Fund), Emma van de Ven (Co-Founder, Acorn Rabobank), and Ricardo Bayon (Co-Founder, Encourage Capital).

Our members do phenomenal work!