Francois served as consultant to Climate Finance Unit (CFU) at UN Environment Programme (UNEP) for setting up the innovative Agri3 Fund. He shared his views on the funds’ news of its first three transactions.
Halting the loss of the more than seven million hectares of tropical forests that disappear annually, tackling climate change, while growing sustainable agricultural production to feed the estimated nine billion people that will be on the planet by 2050, are among the most defining challenges of the 21st century.
It is for that reason that UNEP together with Rabobank initiated a partnership with the objective to issue USD 1 billion in debt to farmers and corporates that focuses on the much-needed transformation in the way banks finance commodities that we use on a day-to-day basis such as soy, beef, palm oil, rubber, coffee, etc.
The AGRI3 Fund closed the first two transactions with Rabobank in China and Brazil with de-risking capital from the fund. The investments focus on more sustainable farm practices, forest protection and improving of local rural livelihoods. See Story
