The Landbanking Group

We are stepping up our game! The Landbanking Group has been selected for the Google for Startups Cloud Program, giving our measurement tool access to more earth observation data and improving our MRV models. And Google will support us with additional technical training, experts, AI and Web3 specific benefits!

Carbon-neutral, taxing greenhouse gase emissions, carbon credits. They are essential to preserving our planet and our ability of living on it. But they are inextricably linked to nature. Healthy ecosystem with thriving biodiversity are using carbon. They deliver the most effective removal. So, on top of current measures on limiting carbon we have to protect biodiversity. Luckily, for the first time ever, our technology has advanced so far and so rapidly, that besides measuring the ppm of gases in the atmosphere and the number of trees on a piece of land, we can actually measure biodiversity. And measuring it is the first step to effective, scalable and long-lasting wholistic conservation!

A skyscraper topples: The Trianon tower in Frankfurt is a 670 million project, a silver tower dominating the skyline, and most of all - insolvent. With energy and water supply difficulties, even the grandeur of architecture can hold little against it.  When rains flood cities and towns habitually and yet water is scarce only a few months later, not only the existing infrastructure is affected. We must plan expansions, and building projects accordingly.  The industry must not only adapt to the new climate, but to new regulations and societal expectations. Innovative approaches are a must. Integrating natural capital into project planning and turning additional costs into valuable investments in nature-positive infrastructure pave the way to a sustainable future. Read Prof. Dr. Martin R. Stuchtey's article in the FondsForum: https://lnkd.in/dB8acvxw

Creating Ecosystems in and out of nature Top Tier Impact fosters a network of leading investors and entrepreneurs to create a fast-paced environment for innovative solutions. TTI takes a collaborative approach to collect, create and grow systemic change. Hence, the #changemakerslunch was offered as an inspiring and discursive interruption of the working day by TTI together with IMPACT FESTIVAL and Between the tower where Dr. Sonja Stuchtey presented the concept of #NatureEquity. Nature is critical infrastructure and to maintain this lifeline we need to revolutionise our definition of wealth and enable regenerative land use practices..

Farmers and nature restoration: it takes a village! In a recent post, we highlighted how farmers could benefit from the recently passed Nature Restoration law. Many thoughtful comments reminded us: in addition to capital to finance the transition, farmers need a support system to guide them through daily decisions. Ecological and financial data can be hard to interpret and act upon. We identified four key support mechanisms to enable the transition: 🧠 Knowledge networks: Peer-to-peer learning networks and expert advisory services are crucial. The French initiative "Pour une Agriculture du Vivant", Brazilian Associação Rede ILPF, global-scale Regeneration International and PepsiCo's knowledge-sharing program are great examples. 🛰️ Tech-enabled decision support: Farmers need real-time data and predictive models to make informed decisions. Our job is to use technology to translate cryptic scientific data into actionable insights and help farmers contextualize the information. For example, what does a 20% increase in water-holding capacity mean for your cocoa field? Is it good? Bad? Can it be improved? Should it? How? Our natural capital management platform Landler currently addresses that by showing benchmark data and providing contextual insights. Other great solutions include: NatureMetrics, Regrow Ag, Space4Good, Global Canopy, Biome Makers Inc., Farmforce Agrology, a Public Benefit Corporation and others. 💰Financial bridging: The short-term economic hit of transitioning can be severe. We need financial products tailored to this challenge. Our approach involves companies investing in nature "uplift units" generated by farmers, often with partial upfront payments and the remainder tied to measured outcomes. However, it's crucial to understand that these investments carry risks. External factors like extreme weather can impact results even when farmers do everything right. Our answer to that is full transparency on the state of natural capital at any point in time, acknowledging that permanence can never be guaranteed. Which brings us to our last point, by no means less important: ☔ Risk mitigation strategies: Given these inherent risks, how can we provide a safety net for farmers transitioning to regenerative practices and companies financing it? 1. Pre-finance the transition. Corporate programs such as Cargill's RegenConnect, developed in partnership with Regrow Ag, are great examples. 2. Transition funds that pool investments to dilute risk, for example IDH Farmfit Fund 3. Approaches similar to ETFs that spread risk across multiple projects. These mechanisms aim to provide farmers with comprehensive support to make informed decisions and successfully transition to nature-positive practices, while realistically addressing the complexities and risks involved. What other support systems do you think farmers need? Add your ideas to the comments below!

We have passed the time for perfection, it is time for pragmatic, scalable and imperfectly fast solutions Together with other startups, Tobias Bandel presented the The Landbanking Group business case of nature at the SZGipfel sustainability summit of the SZ news: nature restoration is not only a necessity, but we can turn it into wealth. The discussions show that we need solutions. And we need them fast and at scale. The pitches show: There are several innovative solutions that help grow and enable regenerative landuse. And we are glad to be one of them. Congratulations to Marlene Stechl for the brilliant and inspiring pitch about HopfON!

“Capitalism for biodiversity” – we like the provocation.   We – at TLG – would give it a slightly different spin: The naïve application of capitalist tools to nature will not solve one of humanity’s biggest challenges: biodiversity loss. But a broadening of our conception of capital to include natural as well as human capital as proposed by Capitals Coalition, Natural Capital Project and in "The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review" will.   Nature is wealth. Paying for it is not a cost but an investment. This is the deeper secret behind AMES Foundation’s charmingly naughty campaign.   AMES stands for “Africa’s Most Endangered Species” and was founded in 2020 by a handful of entrepreneurs. By now, more than 200 entrepreneurs are involved with AMES – both financially and through their active support. They are all united in one goal: to make conservation and animal welfare scalable and thereby make a valuable contribution to the preservation (and recovery) of wildlife. Teaser: we are working together with AMES Foundation on an exciting project, stay tuned for more information soon!   Since 1970, we have lost 69% of wildlife populations. The greatest enemy of biodiversity is the loss of natural habitat. By 2030, 30% of the global habitat shall be protected – to this end, we will need more than $700bn per year. Donations and states alone won’t be able to achieve this. We need to leverage the power of markets, of capitalism, to attract financing. Nature conservation must financially pay dividends.   The renowned agency HeimatTBWA\ now supports AMES as part of a pro bono project and has developed the “Capitalism for biodiversity” campaign, which will be on display all across Germany from 22 June.   This is how you can support AMES:  🚀 Become an AMES Guardian: Be part of a strong community entrepreneurs: info@ames-foundation.com 💰 Get informed about investment opportunities that protect natural habitat: https://lnkd.in/eUSCPNAq 🛜 Learn about investment opportunities for the protection of natural habitats (https://lnkd.in/d-DBwEVe  or Instagram (https://lnkd.in/dskaxPFp) Dr. Marlon Braumann Prof. Dr. Martin R. Stuchtey Dr. Sonja Stuchtey Felipe Villela Tobias Bandel Henrike Raedler

The growth we fear - the price of chocolate The current price surge in commodities such as oranges and cocoa is visible in every supermarket and convenience store. And the prices seem to keep on climbing. Cocoa production is currently heavily affected by pests and diseases, declining soil fertility worsened by increasingly extreme weather events and exploitation within the supply chain. Hence, to flatten out the curve and ensure the safety of supply chains and safeguard crops from future weather events one main thing has to be considered: The quality of soil - The amount of water that can be stored in soil to prevent large damages through floods and droughts is mainly dependent on the quality of soil. Soil quality can be improved by using cover crops to limit exposure of the top soil to erosion. Monocultures deplete soils by draining them from necessary nutrients, so using crop rotation or permaculture supports the nutrient storage. In an article with Handelsblatt, Ritter Sport CEO Andreas Ronken talks about an approach to make idea reality: Close communication and collaboration with farmers and a compensation that enables regenerative land use methods and sustainable resource management are a must.

If the only use of biodiversity credits is to put a certificate on the wall and add an adjective to your Landing Page, it is far from reaching its full potential. "We need a mindset change", says Dr. Sonja Stuchtey, nature finance expert, "it's not a punishment to invest in nature, it's something that nature-proofs your company." Investing in ecosystem health via biodiversity credits, or nature assets must be appealing to a risk managers for supply chains, CFO for balance sheets and investments, more so than it does to Marketing for a statement on a website.

17 Sustainable Development Goals - 1 Event: Dr. Sonja Stuchtey is on the Nature panel at the Blue Earth Summit in Shoreditch this week. The Blue Earth Summit brings together solution based businesses in the scope of the SDGs to connect, collaborate and create innovative ideas to have a positive impact.