The Nature Conservancy and Blue Marble Microinsurance Announce Partnership Around Silvopastoral Systems in Latin America
LONDON, July 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — The Nature Conservancy (TNC), a non-profit conservation organization now in 70 countries, is working to show the world that nature can be a solution for mitigating risks communities face from climate change, including increased floods, storms and droughts. Financing is a key challenge around bringing natural solutions to scale. With years of science and financial expertise, TNC is collaborating with the insurance industry to develop solutions that benefit people, communities and economies.
The Nature Conservancy and Blue Marble Microinsurance are proud to announce a partnership with the intention of extending microinsurance to scale a science-based ranching practice called silvopasture in Latin America.
Silvopastoral farming is the practice of combining trees with forage pasture and livestock. It improves the resilience of small ranchers in multiple ways:
- Higher livestock productivity – up to 67% increased milk production and/or 51% increased meat production, especially after the second year of implementation
- Diversification of income sources – timber and/or fruit trees
- Resilience against climate change – increased water quality, soil protection, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, maintained production during severe conditions, such as El Niño
- Better agronomic practices – 50% decreased use of herbicides and frequency of erosive fires
Silvopastoral ranching arrangements enhance environmental conservation and production benefits in a holistic manner. Ranchers who adopt these systems can produce more milk or meat in less area and with fewer inputs, reducing impact on water, soil and Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. The adoption of silvopastoral systems has been slow given the relative high levels of investment needed, amounting to USD $2000-3000 per hectare, depending on location and system variations.
These systems play an important role in minimizing the impact of one of the highest contributors to GHG emissions – cattle ranching and grazing. The implementation of silvopastoral systems at scale can support climate mitigation and adaptation. For a rancher, assurance (or insurance) that he or she can recover in the event of a loss during the implementation phase favors greater adoption and expansion of these sustainable systems.
“With 68,000 people being displaced by climate change every day, the world demands innovative approaches and the time is now. Our partnership with Blue Marble Microinsurance brings tangible evidence of how the private sector is inextricably linked to building stable and resilient local economies in the face of an uncertain climate,” said Kathy Baughman McLeod, Managing Director for Climate Risk & Resilience at The Nature Conservancy.
“The Nature Conservancy has a meaningful mission and a long history of leadership in conservation,” said Joan Lamm-Tennant, Chief Executive Officer of Blue Marble. “I am very pleased that Blue Marble is working with The Nature Conservancy. Insurance is a catalyst for scaling some of their innovative programs, and through embedding insurance in these programs, we will improve the lives and futures of farming families and help address climate change at the same time.”
“Over the last five years, silvopastoral production systems were piloted in one community in Chiapas and six communities in the Yucatan Peninsula with great success,” said Dr. Isabel Studer, Executive Director for the Mexico and Northern Central America program at The Nature Conservancy. “However, since these production models have struggled with rapid adoption, we’re grateful for this partnership with Blue Marble that will deliver benefits to both the environment and the people of Chiapas.”
ABOUT THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at unprecedented scale, and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in more than 65 countries, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit www.nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.
ABOUT BLUE MARBLE MICROINSURANCE
Blue Marble Microinsurance is a consortium of American International Group, Inc., Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC together with Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., Hamilton Insurance Group, Ltd., Old Mutual Emerging Markets Limited, Transatlantic Holdings Inc., XL Insurance (UK) Holdings Limited, and Zurich Insurance Company Ltd.
Blue Marble aims to provide socially impactful, commercially viable insurance protection to the underserved. Blue Marble develops microinsurance ventures that address societal problems, including food security, financial inclusion and the advancement of microentrepreneurs. For more information, visit www.bluemarblemicro.com.
SOURCE Blue Marble Microinsurance
