Financing strategies for integrated landscape investments
Integrated Landscape Initiatives (ILIs) have unique financing needs: they need investment and financial support timeframes. Integrated landscape management (ILM) provides a context to spatially target and harmonize investments so that they can efficiently yield public goods and private financial returns while mitigating investment risks. In Africa, financing systems for ILM must support local, national, and regional development priorities and provide not only national food security, but also local food security, rural livelihoods, and healthy ecosystems. During the Landscapes for People, Food and Nature in Africa Conference, experts, practitioners and policy makers from across Africa and around the world came together over three days to synthesize lessons learned and developed an action plan, research priorities and policy recommendations. Funding remains a main challenge and more effort is needed to evaluate the business case for the participation of the business sector serving local, national, and international markets.