Project

BIOFINCAS

Lead Institute MA Institute of Market Analysis

Involved Institutes BD Institute of Biodiversity

[Translate to English:]

Large-scale transformation towards biodiversity-friendly, climate resilient agriculture through risk finance solutions and enabling policy and trade frameworks

BIOFINCAS - Committed to Biodiversity
The current situation on the global markets for coffee, cocoa, and bananas threatens biodiversity conservation and leaves smallholder farmers with the costs of climate risks and adaptation.
BIOFINCAS contributes to the large-scale transformation of conventional farming into biodiversity-friendly and climate-resilient practices in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Mexico

Background and Objective

Land use changes are the main drivers of biodiversity loss and ecosystem destruction globally. While global demand for coffee, banana, and cocoa is growing, only a small share is produced sustainably. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Mexico are top cocoa, coffee and banana exporting countries with over half of the production produced by smallholder farmers. Most of these face major challenges and barriers to producing sustainably and improving their livelihoods and wellbeing.

BIOFINCAS contributes to the large-scale transformation of conventional farming towards biodiversity-friendly and climate-resilient practice in the partner countries.

Target Group

The BioFinCas project has different target groups:

Umbrella organisations: second-tier organisations representing farmer cooperatives - led preferably by women, youth and/or ethnic minorities and conformed by smallholder farmers from low- and medium-income households
Finance institutions, financial intermediaries and insurance institutions:
National public institutions relevant for the agricultural sector in project countries

Stakeholders along the cocoa, coffee, and banana value-chains

Approach

The Thünen Institute is in charge of the scientific monitoring of the project.

Thünen Institute of Biodiversity is responsible for:

the impact analysis of alternative and conventional agricultural practices on biodiversity
The development and implementation of an impact assessment protocol for biodiversity-friendly practices on biodiversity and income with the support of national partners

Thünen Institute of Market Analysis is responsible for:

the socio-economic analysis of alternative and conventional agricultural practices at farm level
the analysis of international agreements relevant for cocoa, coffee and banana value chains in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Mexico, such as the EU Deforestation Legislation