The eco.business Fund is an investment fund promoting sustainable business practices contributing to biodiversity conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources in Sub-Saharan Africa. Investment will focus on the sectors of sustainable agriculture and agri-processing, forestry, fishery and aquaculture, as well as sustainable tourism.
The eco.business Fund follows a two-pronged strategy tackling both the drivers of deforestation and degradation as well as the consequences thereof. Land use change caused by unsustainable agriculture is considered to be a main driver of deforestation and land degradation in SSA. Similar effects are caused by fuelwood extraction, timber extraction and urbanization driven by increasing demand for food, fuel and fibres.
Main target group of the Fund are local enterprises (farmers, producers, processing companies and service providers along the value chain) that positively impact biodiversity and contribute to the protection of the ecosystem.
The fund was initiated by Germany’s leading development bank, KfW, Conservation International and Finance in Motion. The Fund provides financing both via direct investments and indirectly via local Partner Finance Institutions. Investment activities are combined with a strong component of technical assistance (Development Facility), for both the Partner Finance Institutions and their clients, to address the challenge of absorptive capacity in the emerging green markets. Investments concentrate in the areas of sustainable agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture and tourism. EU support contributes to the Fund with junior shares and Technical Assistance. More details can be found at the Eco Business Fund.
How the fund works