I
n 2011, AWF took advantage of an Africa
teeming with entrepreneurial innovation
and launched African Wildlife Capital (AWC).
AWF's impact-investment subsidiary would
provide financing to commercially viable,
private-sector companies with the potential to
make a positive conservation and socioeconomic
impact. "We are investing in businesses driven by
a private sector willing to create enterprises that
also benefit conservation and local communities.
Strong organizations identify opportunities, and
that's what we've done," explained Giles Davies,
investment manager for AWC.
After only one year, AWC has achieved a number
of milestones that are showing how investing
in responsible businesses can be a great way to
advance our conservation mission.
1st conservation audit
AWC includes conservation covenants in
its contracts, specific conservation and
socioeconomic measures the company
receiving financing is required to fulfill, and
conducts annual conservation audits to ensure
terms are being met. In FY12, AWC conducted
the first conservation audit of its first investee,
Rungwe Avocado Co. The audit found that
Rungwe, which is located near Tanzania's most
important montane grassland ecosystem, has
successfully limited agricultural sprawl while
also improving the livelihoods of more than
2,000 local farmers through an outgrower
scheme, where they produce avocadoes on
their own lands for sale. Moreover, the audit
found that these outgrowers--expected to
reach 5,000 in the next few years--sign
conservation contracts with Rungwe, so that
these conservation behaviors cascade down
to the level of the individual farmer.
3 sectors in 3 countries
In addition to investing in Rungwe Avocado Co.,
where AWC is making an impact in Tanzania's
u
GROOTBERG lOdGE
September 2012
investinG
in conservAtion
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