Innovative Finance for the Amazon, Cerrado and Chaco (IFACC)
Brazil
What is it?
Innovative Finance for the Amazon, Cerrado, and Chaco (IFACC) is an initiative from the United Nations Environment Programme, the Nature Conservancy, and the Tropical Forest Alliance. IFACC serves as the “go-to” team for banks, companies, and investors seeking to expand innovative finance for deforestation/conversion-free beef and soy in these regions.
The Amazon, Cerrado, and Chaco regions of South America are food production centers and vital stores of carbon, water, and biodiversity. With the right approaches, all three biomes can be protected while continuing to grow agricultural production. The sustainable intensification of existing pastures can meet future demand for beef and leather while also freeing up land for soy and other agricultural products to expand without further conversion of natural habitat.
IFACC aims to scale innovative financial mechanisms- including farm loan products, farmland investment funds, corporate debt instruments, and capital markets offerings, and help farmers implement proven business models to supply the global market without further conversion of the Amazon, Cerrado, and Chaco ecosystems.
IFACC works with signatories to provide:
- Market intelligence on the products it has created;
- Connections with key stakeholders;
- Advice on environmental impact management; and,
- Access to their knowledge hub.
IFACC will also help signatories meet the targets set by the Principles for Responsible Banking and the Net-Zero Banking Alliance; and highlight their role in innovative finance at Davos, COP, and other key forums.