What does it take to make restoring nature economically viable for the people who depend on the land?
In this episode of Amplify, Sanchi Singh, Founder & Host of Amplify, sits down with Arti Dhar, Co-founder & Director of Farmers for Forests, to explore the intersection of farmers, forests, climate finance and ecosystem restoration.
The conversation looks at why agroforestry can offer an alternative to conventional monocropping, and why the environmental case alone is not enough. For restoration to work at scale, it also needs to make economic sense for smallholder farmers.
Arti explains how Farmers for Forests approaches this challenge, from building trust with farming communities and creating financial incentives for tree survival to using blended finance to help fund restoration projects.
The episode also breaks down carbon credits in simple terms, explores the role of philanthropy, CSR and carbon finance, and addresses some of the questions around measurement, risk and integrity in voluntary carbon markets.
The conversation ultimately comes back to a fundamental question:
If society benefits from farmers restoring trees and improving landscapes, how do we create a financial mechanism that rewards them for doing so?
Watch the full episode to explore:
- • Why farmer economics matter to ecosystem restoration• How agroforestry can support farmer livelihoods
- Why trust and social proof matter when working with farming communities
- How blended finance can support restoration
- How carbon credits work
- The challenges of measuring and pricing nature
- Why a living tree can still be financially undervalued
- What it could take to make restoration a viable rural economy
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