New Project Launches: Building climate resilience in supply chains for the mobilization of adaptation funding

GUATEMALA, Guatemala (8 December, 2022) – Heifer International and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) have launched the two-year initiative in Guatemala and Honduras regional initiative, “Building climate resilience in supply chains for the mobilization of adaptation funding,” in partnership with Conservation International and the Guatemalan Ministry of Environment.

With this initiative, Heifer International will develop the first Adaptation Equivalency Index (AEI) in Guatemala and Honduras to decrease habitat loss, improve ecological resilience, ensure sustainable incomes for small producers and increase investment in adaptation by the private sector through a standardized and quantifiable approach. The AEI will seek to enable smallholder producers, processors and businesses in Guatemala and Honduras to capture the full value of their adaptation actions along the coffee, cocoa and spice supply chains.

In Guatemala, part of the project will take place in the protected area of Cobán, where over 80% of the land use is dedicated to agriculture and forestry. The funding, in part from the GEF’s Special Climate Change Fund, aims to mainstream climate change adaptation and resilience for systematic impact through the creation of strong, climate-resilient economies and communities.

 "It is a project that will be of great support to the reforestation campaign of the municipality of Coban,” said Hugo Vaides, representative of the municipality of Cobán. “Heifer has always been a great ally in these issues of reforestation and care for our environment. I am sure that with this we will help to improve the field practices of our farmers for the conservation of our natural resources."

Gustavo Hernandez, senior director of Heifer International Guatemala, said: "At Heifer International, we believe that ending poverty begins with agriculture. This partnership with Conservation International and the Ministry of Environment is key in our mission to combat climate change.”

In Honduras, the project will be implemented in the department of Olancho in the municipalities of Dulce Nombre de Culmí, Gualaco, Santa María del Real and Catacamas. “Agroforestry systems are a very important climate change adaptation strategy for the municipality, since it contributes to improving the local economy of our producers,” said Ramiro Lobo, mayor of Catacamas.
 Marco Machado, senior director of Heifer International Honduras, said: "Adaptation and mitigation efforts are important for countries like Honduras due to its high level of vulnerability to the effects of climate change, affecting agricultural producers as well as their productive infrastructure." .

The Ministries of Environment and Agriculture in both Guatemala and Honduras will play an active role in working with Heifer International to shape the AEI and socialize it with key national stakeholders to identify, test, rank and score adaptation solutions. The AEI will be designed to integrate seamlessly with ESG – Environmental, Social and Governance – strategies in the private sector and their business models. This innovation will enable companies to easily report on adaptation investments and outcomes in a similar way to how they already report on carbon mitigation strategies.

"[This project] would be laying the groundwork for a quantitative measurement of adaptation strategies to climate change,” said Jennifer Zamora, head of the Department of Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change in the Guatemalan Ministry of Environment. “We would be supporting the value chains of different crops under agroforestry practices so that they can be scaled at different levels. [W]e are very willing to support and very happy to accompany the process for [a] generation of favorable results that contribute to increase adaptation capacities in the countries.”

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About the Global Environment Facility: The Global Environment Facility is the world’s largest funder of biodiversity protection, nature restoration, climate change response, and pollution reduction in developing countries. It finances international environmental conventions and country-driven initiatives that generate global benefits. The GEF partnership connects 184 member governments with civil society, Indigenous Peoples, and the private sector, and works closely with other environmental financiers for efficiency and impact. To date, the GEF has provided more than $22 billion in grants and blended finance and mobilized another $120 billion in co-financing for more than 5,000 national and regional projects, plus 27,000 community ventures through its Small Grants Programme.

About Heifer International: Since 1944, Heifer International has worked with more than 39 million families worldwide to end hunger and poverty sustainably. Working with rural communities in 19 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, including the United States, Heifer International supports local farmers and food producers to strengthen local economies and build secure livelihoods that provide a living income. For more information, visit https://www.heifer.org.

About Heifer International Guatemala:  Heifer International has been operating in Guatemala since 1970. It specializes in sustainable rural development programs and projects.   To date, it is promoting agroforestry systems, productive associativity, adopting alternative agricultural technologies for clean production, the strengthening of supply chains of community enterprises, and access to sustainable differentiated markets for products of the cardamom and spice chain. It has multiple local partners, from cooperatives, local associations, or national associations, and works closely with agencies that complement its areas of expertise.

HPIG builds alliances with municipal governments, the central government, producer organizations, and the private sector to generate economic opportunities that curb migration and increase the security of thousands of families, and support them in generating a decent income and caring for the environment. Local staff and partners develop value chains, build, and strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), improve business environments, invest in infrastructure, and promote sustainable land use.