The power of incentives and digital innovation restoring land and biodiversity

At the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) pavilion, alongside partners like the Global Biodiversity Standard (TGBS) and IUCN, I was inspired by discussions focused on empowering smallholders and rural communities to restore land and biodiversity. Convened by the Alliance Bioversity and CIAT (ABC), this session shed light on the power of incentives and digital innovation to tackle some of the biggest barriers to restoration, from limited access to finance and technology to gaps in reliable data.

One of the highlights was the “My Farm Trees” mobile app, which combines blockchain technology and digital payments to incentivize tree planting and biodiversity conservation. Hearing Chetan Kumar from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) emphasize that “community-driven approaches are crucial for lasting restoration, but financial and technological barriers remain” resonated deeply with me and the issues we’re trying to address at EHBIPA and the CGIAR. Similarly, Chris Kettle of ABC pointed out the app’s potential to bring local species knowledge to scale, which is key to meaningful impact.

What struck me most was the emphasis on community and gender considerations. Mary Uru from PELUM Kenya reminded us that policy frameworks must be data-driven and crafted with protections that ensure equitable benefits for communities. These insights affirmed that restoration is not just about planting trees but about creating multifunctional landscapes that align with local needs, traditional knowledge, and biodiversity goals.

Moving forward, it’s clear that integrating restoration with sustainable finance, national policy, and global biodiversity goals can amplify impact. Innovative tools like “My Farm Trees” are crucial, but so are community-led monitoring, participatory planning, and support for smallholders and rural communities. Empowering people at the grassroots, particularly women and marginalized groups, to lead these efforts is essential to building resilient ecosystems and equitable futures.

By Janelle Sylvester