Ending deforestation is critical for fighting climate change and for maintaining biodiversity, requiring global action for sustainable development. As agriculture is the primary driver of deforestation in all tropical areas around the globe, sustainability within the food and agriculture industries has become the new business imperative.
Sustainable business models provide new market opportunities worth USD 5 trillion and will generate 230 million new jobs – 12% of Asian labor force – by 2030, according to the Better business, Better World Asia, a report released by the Business and Sustainable Development Commission. Business leaders could tap into business opportunities of USD 1 trillion by shifting food and agriculture industry onto sustainable pathways in the region.
In this webinar, AVPN members will share their efforts and learnings around sustainable business in agriculture and forestry industry in Asia. USAID Green Invest Asia (Pact Global) identifies and develops business pipelines of sustainable agriculture and forestry in the region, as well as connecting them with the sources of capital. Cargill, with their 150 years of business experience in bringing food, agricultural, financial and industrial products to people around the world, develop products to advance nutrition, food safety and nutrition.
This webinar will:
- Share USAID Green Invest Asia’s first-hand experiences on the assessment and identification of sustainable businesses in the region as well as key findings, with concrete examples of business models from forestry industry.
- Provide insights from Cargill’s sustainability journey in working across the supply chain to make a positive impact, highlighting the business incentives of increased sustainability in a multinational agribusiness.
- Discuss specific gaps and challenges that other corporates can support to capture sustainable business opportunities in Asia.
Speaker
 |
Mauro Ciriminna Senior AFOLU Advisor – USAID Green Invest Asia (Pact Global) Mauro has wide experience in development projects, social issues, working with indigenous people, and commodity certification in more than 15 countries. Mauro has worked with a number of actors: financial institutions, institutional donors, international organizations, and the private sector, focusing on land use issues. Mauro has supported companies, communities and smallholders getting forest certification and improving management practices to meet international social and environmental benchmark. He holds a master’s degree in environmental science, policy and management from the MESPOM consortium (Central European University, Lund University, and the University of Manchester). |
 |
Colin Lee Director, Corporate Affairs, Cargill Tropical Palm Holdings Pte Ltd A keen advocate for sustainable practices and the pervasive use of technology to help people and businesses thrive, Colin has been helping companies and individuals transform issues into opportunities and enhance reputations for twenty years. In his present role as the director of corporate affairs for Cargill’s oil palm plantations, Colin actively manages the business’s engagement with key stakeholders, influencing agendas in industry advocacy groups, as well as championing and influencing actions within Cargill to better serve employees, customers, governments, smallholder farmers and local communities. |
About the Organisations
 |
USAID Green Invest Asia is a technical assistance facility working to catalyze $400 million of private investment for sustainable agriculture and forest landscapes across Asia by 2022 by matching small and medium-sized enterprises with green financing sources. The facility offers technical services to agriculture and forestry companies to improve the sustainability of their supply chains, enhance commodity production and/or meet standards for sustainability certification. USAID Green Invest Asia also supports private financial institutions grow their sustainable agriculture and forestry portfolios, structure deals to reduce investor risk and match investors to a pipeline of profitable and investment-ready low-emissions businesses in our initial focus countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. This facility’s goal is to reduce CO2 equivalent greenhouse gas emissions by 25 million tons by 2030. |
 |
Cargill’s team of 155,000 professionals in 70 countries draws together the worlds of food, agriculture, nutrition and risk management. For more than 150 years, we have helped farmers grow more, connecting them to broader markets. We are continuously developing products that give consumers just what they’re seeking, advancing nutrition, food safety and sustainability. And we help all of our partners innovate and manage risk, so they can nourish the world again tomorrow. |
