Objective B1 - Investment Plans

LabelTitleDescription

Investment Plans

Encourage the development and implementation of investment plans reflecting the targets set out in the NDCs

National and supranational strategies (including incentive and regulatory mechanisms) and responsible investment plans for Soil Health (SH) derived from the targets set in the NDCs are developed and implemented.

Targets B1 - Investment Plans

Baseline 2020Target 2030Target 2050
Inventory of strategies and investments plans
All country members and partners of the "4 per 1000" initiative include SH and soil organic carbon as quantitative targets in their investment plans and related documents and refer to them in their national agriculture, forestry, and land use plans and programs.All UNFCCC country parties include SH and soil organic carbon as quantitative targets in their investment plans and related documents and refer to them in their national agriculture, forestry, and land use plans and programs.

Context B1 - Investment Plans

Problem B1 - Investment Plans

Problem StatementDescriptionConsequences

Despite their pledges and promises, governments are doing too little, too slowly, to incentivize land users to improve SH and SOC levels.

Current incentives and regulatory mechanisms do not benefit those land users who work on their land sustainably and follow agroecological approaches.

No real change. Current market rules keep incentivizing modes of production that do not consider their impacts on soil and public health.

Causes B1 - Investment Plans

CauseDescription

1

Absence of externalities in agri-food price systems

Partial market data informing policy measures. De Schutter and Vanloqueren (2011) stated, "the absence of full inclusion of externalities in agri-food price systems has enabled the development of industrial farming despite substantial social and environmental costs and has hindered a comprehensive valuation of the benefits of agroecology. The success of large plantations is, in part, attributable to the fact that the price of food does not reflect the actual costs to society resulting from their operations, particularly from the impacts of their modes of production on the soil and climate, and public health.

2

The misconception about Agriculture and Farming

Policy-making and market-building processes are guided by a misleading perception of Agriculture and Farming. It assumes that farms are just as productive enterprises, disconnected from natural ecosystems, ignoring agriculture's multi-input, multi-functional, multi-output nature.

3

Lack of NGO/CSO activism

GHG and biodiversity have benefited from strong support from CSOs, helping to raise the case for the international community to federate and commit to tackling the issue. There is no such outcry for soil

4

The SH concept is not understood

SH science is vast and complex. It doesn't seem easy to extract a simple, single message around which the public and government could align their policies, making an international coalition more complex to create

5

Viable technical solutions are lacking

The technologies enable the "4 per 1000" to have too low economic productivity. On the other hand, 4p1000 actions do not integrate any indirect positive effects to make these technologies more attractive. Finally, the methods of mass dissemination are too inefficient.

6

The land tenure system is a challenge.

The land tenure aspect is fundamental in the 4p1000 approach. These systems are very numerous, and the attempts to implement them are currently too little in advance, which diminishes their effectiveness.

7

Guidelines for the consideration of SH and SOC are missing.

Developers of national strategies lack proper guidance and know-how to address SH and SOC adequately.

Implementation strategy B1 - Investment Plans

Activities B1 - Investment Plans

TitleDescription

1

Enable economic gain for stakeholders on the ground

Identify technologies that provide financial benefits to make the mechanisms more sustainable OR implement a sustainable PES system in the long term, i.e., change local tax policy.

2

Adapt mechanism to land tenure

Implement mechanisms that consider current land tenure in participation with landowners.

3

Promote universally accepted key performance indicators

Ensure that system-level investments are based on commonly accepted performance indicators to encourage that support is provided to those entrepreneurs and businesses whose management has a simultaneous positive impact on SH and net farm income.

4

Invest in profitable projects

Connect financial resources with innovative and profitable projects in regenerative agriculture. Bring in capital and know-how to achieve value-added products through capital investments in technology and innovation.

5

Promote citation of "4 per 1000"

Ensure that the "4 per 1000" is referenced frequently in agronomic and economic literature and other relevant publications.

6

Promote the "4 per 1000" label as social awareness

Promote the "4 per 1000" label, as social recognition can mitigate the economic shortcomings of the mechanisms.

7

Assist strategy developers

Provide SH&SOC expertise and assist strategy development

Critical Success Factors (CSFs) B1 - Investment Plans

Critical Success FactorDescription

1

Coordination between stakeholders

Implementing stakeholders must be supported to strengthen their linkages.

2

ESG and SH Transparency

Investors and consumers could make better decisions if ESG and SH data were available firsthand.

3

Sustainability of mechanisms

Implementation mechanisms must necessarily take place over a long period.

4

Social Recognition

Stakeholders who implement actions enabling "4 per 1000" must necessarily benefit from social recognition

5

Taking the land tenure into account

Implementation mechanisms must be adapted to land tenure and how they work. It is an illusion to want to change the land tenure rules to make the mechanisms work.

6

The expertise of strategy developers

Strategy developers must have sufficient knowledge about SH, SOC, and possible solutions.

Barriers B1 - Investment Plans

BarrierDescription

1

Change the land tenure first

Wanting to change land tenure first is a significant obstacle because (i) it takes a long time, (ii) land tenure is very complex and can lead to conflict, and (iii) it distorts the social fabric and makes other actions counterproductive.

2

Lobbying practices promoting the status quo

Strong lobbying practices keep delaying policy change and public understanding of the environmental and social issues at stake.

3

Punctual mechanisms over a short period

Implementing mechanisms in a short period is counterproductive. At best, it can allow getting closer at the time of the mechanism, but the impact will disappear with the end of the mechanism.

4

Lack of communication built around successful projects

The lack of a clear and continuous communication strategy built on regenerative agriculture's successes across the globe creates a barrier, as misleading information on mono-cultures as agricultural "best practices" is leading the industry.

5

CBA as a decision support tool

CBA (change-advisory board) is an effective decision-support tool for donors, governments, and field actors. However, it is essential to move away from this paradigm. Using the CBA criteria as a prioritization tool and not as a selection is crucial.


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