Sound land-based investment requires investors to effectively manage environmental and social risks. Land sovereignty and resource rights are unclear and undocumented in many emerging and frontier markets. A lack of reliable information on existing land use and ownership poses a significant risk for all land-related projects. If local sovereignty is not addressed, a project can spark social conflicts, and profits can turn to losses.
Indufor offers a range of services to help communities, private sector investors and governments find cost-effective and socially responsible solutions to common environmental problems, land tenure issues, and other social challenges. Our staff brings a wealth of experience from working with government agencies, private entities and civil society groups to understand and bridge the interests and operational realities of different stakeholders.
In the realm of impact assessment, Indufor provides clients with on-the-ground intelligence and practical knowledge that illuminates environmental and social risks and these risks’ effects on corporate operations. Indufor’s project-specific impact assessments mitigate risks while increasing an operation’s profitability and making it more socially optimal.
Our staff is intimately familiar with current international norms and guidance, including:
- The International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Environmental & Social Performance Standards
- World Bank Environmental and Social Framework
- Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests
- Principles for Responsible Agricultural Investment
- The Interlaken Group Guide for Respecting Land and Forest Rights
- Analytical Framework for Land-based Investments in African Agriculture released by Grow Africa and the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition
Our land tenure and property rights services can stand alone or be integrated within broader due diligence and ESIAs commissioned by clients. Indufor services include:
For private clients
- Identification of social and environmental risks
- Environment and social impact assessments (ESIA)
- Land tenure and property rights due diligence
- Identification of land suitable for investment opportunities
- Land acquisition assistance and advice
- Design and establishment of company-community partnerships
- Stakeholder analysis and community consultations
- Design of grievance mechanisms
- Risk mitigation planning to assist in conflict management
- Analysis of corporate social responsibility strategies and operations
- Guidance and advice for adhering to international standards and norms related to land rights and responsible investment
For government and NGO clients
- Assessment and design of land tenure programs
- Customary land tenure and indigenous land rights
- Legal and institutional assessment and analysis
- Land use change analysis and participatory land use planning
- Land concession audits
- Mapping and documentation of land and resource rights
- Capacity building and training
- Independent evaluation of land tenure investments
Examples of our projects include the following:
- USAID Responsible Land-Based Investments
- USAID Investor Survey on Land Rights
- Support to Interlaken Group Guidance on Land Tenure for Companies.
Area Experts

Karena leads Indufor’s work on community-centered conservation and organizational design, management and implementation with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategy. She recently served as the Technical Lead and Stakeholder Engagement Specialist for the Land Trust Alliance’s Common Ground Initiative. Common Ground was a national listening and learning initiative designed to create a dynamic exchange of information with a diverse array of community institutions and sectors about how the land can help communities thrive. In a multi-year undertaking, she has worked with the Alliance to operationalize these insights and recommendations across the organization. She also leads on conservation finance projects focused on improving the capacity of public and non-profit clients to access and deploy funding, and track the impact of investments over time.
Previous to her time at Indufor, she worked at the National Park Foundation as an Executive Fellow to shepherd the organization's strategic plan and co-lead on the development of a collaborative landscape conservation initiative with the National Park Service. Mahung has also had experience working with organizations in the northeast US including the Downeast Lakes Land Trust, Mass Audubon and Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Ms. Mahung holds a Master's in Environmental Management from Yale School of Environment. She lives in Washington, DC and is originally from Punta Gorda, Belize.

Blair Freeman, Head of Strategy and Sustainability with Indufor Asia Pacific (Australia), holds a Bachelor of Forest Science degree from the University of Melbourne and a Masters of Business Administration from the Australian Graduate School of Management.
Blair has over 20 years of experience in providing advisory services on forest policy, strategic planning, natural resource management and sustainable development, across Australia and the Asia Pacific region.
As project director and project manager, Blair has led a range of complex multi-disciplinary projects, including strategic reviews and program reviews relating to forest industry development, conservation and natural resources management. These projects have encompassed extensive stakeholder consultation and the provision of consulting advice to public and private sector clients, at executive and senior government levels.

Jeffrey Hatcher is the Managing Director of Indufor North America, which provides sustainability and investment consulting services to public and private clients. He previously served as Director of Global Programs for the Rights and Resources Group where he led analytical projects on forest tenure policies, climate change, and investment risks. He began his career at the FAO Emergency and Land Tenure services in Sudan supporting the implementation of the land policy provisions of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and land restitution for internally displaced people. He holds an MBA with a focus on finance from INSEAD, an MA in Development Studies from the University of Pavia, and a BA in International Relations from the College of William and Mary.