There are significant barriers for smallholders to access finance mechanisms to fund the needed changes in their production systems towards greater sustainability and stability. On the other side, barriers are also present for financial institutions to be better oriented towards sustainable landscapes in general. All these barriers are relatively well known, but they have not been object of profound analysis and thus have not been addressed at a scale sufficient to come to sustainable and inclusive landscapes.

FTA through its Flagship 3 on Sustainable value chains and investments – is now leading a study on “Scaling of innovative finance for sustainable landscapes”. This study is currently object of an open, public eDialogue, where anyone interested can comment and influence the content of the report. The aim is to introduce a greater level of inclusiveness in the identification innovations in sustainable finance that can indicate pathways and methods to overcome context-specific barriers. The draft study – and all the comments received through the eDialogue – will be further discussed during this session.

The session will also showcase, major lessons learned from panelists. Each member will be able to illustrate how they have dealt with some of these barriers in their experience and propose ways forward towards that bridge the gap between mainstream the finance trying to apply inclusiveness and sustainability criteria in decision making, and smallholders in the landscape. The diversity of the panel will ensure that both point of views will have a voice. Panelists will capitalize on the results of the prior eDialogue, where they will have had the opportunity to confront themselves with different stakeholders in an on-line debate, on a number of critical questions.