Investments in forestry and agriculture depend upon and impact landscapes. Under sustainable management, landscapes are resilient and provide natural resources and ecosystem services that create long-term value for communities, companies, investors, and governments.
Indufor proactively considers ways to improve the environmental, socioeconomic, and institutional conditions that rely on and impact landscapes. As land and water grow increasingly scarce and biodiversity faces major threats, investors and operators can outperform competitors and gain long-term success by integrating sustainable practices tailored to the landscape and its socio-economic and environmental characteristics.
Our work in land use, primary production, and related value chains has leveraged a complex understanding of the dynamics of sustainable landscapes in different geographies. By recognizing how diverse interest groups interact in rural landscapes, we can help our clients add value to their operations.
Our services in this area include:
- Environmental and social due diligence and monitoring
- Sustainable bioeconomy / green growth planning and investment attraction
- Natural capital valuation
- Conformance analysis to sustainability standards / certification schemes (e.g. to IFC, FSC/PEFC)
- Development of sustainable business models
- Monitoring landscapes for progress on sustainability goals (e.g. conservation/zero-deforestation, sustainable forest management, and afforestation/reforestation)
- Project design, planning, and implementation support for public-private partnerships
- Monitoring, evaluation, and learning of donor-funded initiatives on forests, climate, and sustainable land use
- Training on diversity, equity, and inclusion / history of land conservation
Land-based investments require investors and companies to engage with host governments or international public sector donors.
Green Growth Planning builds on national commitments to pursue low-carbon development and adaptation to climate change when identifying opportunities for economic development and sustainable use of natural resources.
Companies are increasingly measuring and valuing the natural resources or natural capital used in their operations, shifting beyond traditional income statements and balance sheets.
Investors are increasingly aware of the importance of incorporating environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues into their investment decisions. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a common framework to anchor ESG considerations into decision-making.
Environmental and social risks are increasingly crucial to manage in land-based investments. In addition, land and resource rights are unclear and undocumented in many emerging and frontier markets.
Responsible producers can demonstrate their commitment to sustainable management of forests or agricultural lands through conformance with sustainability standards and voluntary certification programs.
Area Experts
Mr Selänniemi holds a master's degree (MSc) in forestry from the University of Helsinki (1997) and a bachelor's degree (BSc) in forestry from Tammisaari School of Forestry (1981). He has been working in commercial forestry in Finland and in international development cooperation assignments for over 30 years. He has a solid background in institutional development and smallholder/community forestry, especially in Africa. He also has a deep understanding of project cycle management, and has led several project planning missions and managed a number of long-term technical assistance projects in forestry. He is fluent in Swedish, Finnish and English.
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.