Leading restoration and climate resilience experts share how entrepreneurs in Africa are leading the restoration movement, creating jobs, and making their communities more resilient to climate change.

1. NOTES AND SOURCE go here 1Photo: Flickr/Andrew Wu, World Resources Institute
GREENING GOVERNANCE SEMINAR:
BUILDING RESILIENCE AND GREENING
AFRICA THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP

2. NOTES AND SOURCE go hereIOM 2015
SPEAKER BIOS
Sean DeWitt
Director, Global Restoration Initiative
Sean is the Director of the Global Restoration Initiative at WRI. He manages the process to inspire,
support and mobilize our partners to restore forests and degraded lands. This involves active
coordination among governments, civil society, communities and individuals to fulfill international
commitments on forests, and most importantly to deliver benefits to local livelihoods, local
communities and to nature.
Sofia Faruqi
Manager, New Restoration Economy
Sofia manages the New Restoration Economy, which is working on the business models, financial
mechanisms, and market incentives needed to transform disparate projects into a thriving industry
that restores degraded forests and agricultural lands. The restoration economy mitigates climate
change and alleviates poverty while creating value for investors and companies. She led the Land
Accelerator, which is the first startup accelerator in the world focused on land restoration. The
inaugural cohort of 12 entrepreneurs met in Nairobi, Kenya, in December 2018.
Moushumi Chaudhury
Associate, Climate Resilience
Moushumi is an Associate in the Climate Resilience Practice at WRI. Moushumi works on developing
and building capacity to use tools for adaptation decision making. She is currently working on online
data sharing platforms to democratize access to climate information. She is also helping the
Government of Ethiopia develop specific goals on agriculture and adaptation by using adaptation
tools. In her past work at WRI, she worked with the Government of Fiji and Kenya to build readiness
to apply to the Green Climate Fund by training on decision making tools.

3. NOTES AND SOURCE go here
SPEAKER BIOS
Emily Averna
Associate, African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative
Emily Averna is an Associate with the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100).
AFR100 is a pan-African, country-led initiative to bring 100 million hectares of degraded land into
restoration by 2030 and capture associated benefits for food and water security, poverty alleviation,
and climate change resilience. Emily co-leads relationship management, partner coordination,
fundraising, and communications efforts for AFR100.
Kuki Njeru
Co-Founder, Green Pot Enterprises
Kuki Njeru is one of the founding Members of Green Pot, which was established in 2014, with the aim
of afforesting and offering alternative investment options. Her perfect blend of her training skill,
energetic personality, belief and impeccable people skills have seen her open unimaginable market
bases and frontiers – the perfect ingredients required to push the Green Pot Brand and products. This
holder of a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Systems and Technology has gone to lengths to master
what she now considers her new path — trees and the environment.
Rebecca Carter
Deputy Director, Climate Resilience Practice
Rebecca is the Deputy Director of WRI’s Climate Resilient Development Practice. She focuses on
governance issues related to climate resilience, including the transparency, equity and inclusivity of
adaptation planning and implementation processes. Her work encompasses climate finance,
developing methods and tools for tracking adaptation at scale, and making adaptation interventions
more transformational.

4. Photo: WRI/Flickr
LINKING CLIMATE
CHANGE ADAPTATION
AND RESTORATION
Moushumi Chaudhury
March 20, 2019

5. IOM 2015
CLIMATE RISKS IN AFRICA

6. Source: WRI
RESTORATION ECONOMY

7. IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON
RESTORATION BUSINESSES
Impacts Business Consequences The Bottom line
• Flooding of
manufacturing premises
• Loss of access for
deliveries
• Business interruption
• Impact on reputation
• Drop in productivity
• Potential lost sales
• Impact on future sales
• Water shortages due to
droughts
• Increased water rates
• Business interruption
• Climate becomes better
suited to certain
trees/crops
• Increased raw material
costs
• Drop in productivity
• Potential lost sales
UKCIP 2013

8. RESTORATION AS A POTENTIAL WAY TO BUILD
CLIMATE RESILIENCE
Photo: CIAT/Flickr
Trees help cool temperatures by providing
shade, moderating health impacts of heat
waves and regulating water flows, which can
reduce impacts of floods and droughts.

9. HOW TO SUPPORT SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED
ENTERPRISES TO SCALE RESTORATION
Photo: WRI/Flickr
Adaptive Capacity Level | Improve knowledge of climate risks
Financial Level | Gain access to private finance
Governance Level | Address land tenure and fragmentation of land
Ecosystem Level | Plant trees that are more flood and drought resistant

10. The Land Accelerator
Photo Credits: WRI

11. NOTES AND SOURCE go here
An accelerator is helpful in the following ways:
1. Capacity: Restoration enterprises repeatedly indicated a lack of investment
and technical capacity. An accelerator builds the capacity of multiple
enterprises at the same time through a rapid and intense program. Most
accelerators have 8-15 companies in each cohort
2. Network: An accelerator connects companies to each other, to investors, and
to mentors. Each of these networks is valuable and is tough for any
entrepreneur to tap individually. In particular, the Demo Day convenes
investors and can help several companies raise capital
3. Discovery: The application process brings forth companies in the space that
may not have been on the radar previously
HOW CAN AN ACCELERATOR HELP?

12. NOTES AND SOURCE go here
WRI conducted extensive research on existing accelerators (including GAAAP, Impact
Amplifier, Growth Africa, Village Capital, Spark, and Ecostar). WRI interviewed 10 restoration
enterprises to understand their needs. We found:
1. Accelerators are disproportionately focused on the tech and consumer sectors. An
accelerator focusing on landscape restoration does not exist
2. Most accelerators in Africa are run by people who have no entrepreneurial experience
themselves. This leaves out the first-hand knowledge founders need
3. Communication with investors, mentoring program, business development, and Demo
Days were priorities. But entrepreneurs we spoke with also expressed a strong interest in
technical areas such as nursery management, climate resilience, and working with
smallholder farmers
4. Programs ranged in length from a week to a year. The entrepreneurs we tested our idea
with had a strong preference for a short program that ranged from 3-5 days
WHY THE LAND ACCELERATOR?

13. NOTES AND SOURCE go here 13
• WRI partnered with Fledge to create a 4-day program in
Nairobi, Kenya from December 3-6, 2018.
• The Land Accelerator brought together 12 entrepreneurs
from 7 countries for training, mentoring, and networking.
THE LAND ACCELERATOR

14. SCREENING PROCESS HAS 5 COMPONENTS
• What is the product?
• Who is the target
customer?
• Is there a team?
• Has a company been
set up?
• Ongoing operations?
• Expectations for
revenues/ profits?
Profitability
• What is growth
potential?
• Targeted area of
land (in hectares)?
• Operating leverage?
• Marginal costs?
• Customer acquisition
costs?
Scalability
• Capital required to
start?
• Expertise
requirements?
• What else is
required to start
something similar?
• Relevant to other
parts of country/
continent?
Replicability Environmental
Impact
• Does it depend on
resource extraction?
• Does it increase
land productivity?
• Biodiversity?
• Carbon
sequestration?
• Soil health?
• Air/water quality?
• Other impacts?
Social Impact
• Job creation?
• Percent of women
employed?
• Percent of poor
employed?
• Percent of higher-
value activities done
locally?
• Benefits to local
community?
• Benefits to others?

15. NOTES AND SOURCE go here
THE FIRST LAND ACCELERATOR
Kenya
27%
Niger
11%
DRC
7%Rwanda
7%
Tanzania
7%
Ethiopia
5%
Liberia
5%
Ghana
4%
Malawi
4%
Cameroon
3%
Nigeria
3%
Rest of
Africa
7%
Non-Africa
10%
Applicant Pool
Note: Only companies that indicated a country in their application are included above
• Despite limited promotion, there were 245
applications from 27 countries
• After rigorous screening of online applications and
Skype interviews, 12 companies were selected
o 5 were founded or co-founded by women
o 10 with revenues, most running for 2+ several
years
o Sustainable agriculture was the most common
theme (such as moringa, cashews, macadamia)
• Each company was matched with 3 one-on-one
mentors
• Mentoring and investor introductions continue
after the event on an ongoing basis

16. NOTES AND SOURCE go here
UNIQUE, CUSTOMIZED PROGRAM
Climate risks
Farmer psychology
Certifications
Restoration movement
Nursery management
Mentoring
Networking
Media engagement
Pitch prep & practice
Demo Day
Lean startup
Realities of funding
Financial modeling & budgeting

17. NOTES AND SOURCE go here 17
PARTICIPANTS

18. NOTES AND SOURCE go here
CREATING A SPECIAL PURPOSE VEHICLE
Call for Land
Accelerator
Applications
Target all 28
AFR100 partner
countries
Tap into
entrepreneurship
and investor
networks
Select 15
promising
enterprises
Host a 4-6 day training,
networking and investor-
focused Land Accelerator
for the 15 participating
enterprises
Match
companies
with capital
Reinvest funds into
future Accelerators
Form a Land Accelerator SPV
which will invest $50,000 in
each enterprise, in return for a
6% equity stake
WRI is interested in forming a special purpose vehicle (SPV) that
invests in the enterprises selected for the Land Accelerator.

19. Entrepreneurship for
Restoration in Africa
By:
Kuki Njeru
Green Pot Enterprises Ltd
20th March 2019

20. • Greenpot Enterprises Limited was launched in 2014
and is Kenya’s first fully integrated bamboo company
• Our business model is multidimensional, which entails
large-scale nurseries, large-scale bamboo plantations
all the way to creating a bamboo factory
• We also became part of large-scale landscape
restoration
• Green Pot aims to create business opportunities for
Kenyans through this lucrative venture
• It is therefore constantly developing bamboo based
initiatives and concepts
INTRODUCTION TO GREEN POT
“Be Proactive” – Steven Covey

21. GATED COMMUNITY
OF FORESTS

22. OUT GROWER
MODEL

23. GPE provides seedlings &
project management
Resource mobilization /
finance approval
Farmers / project implementers
plant bamboo
GP Industries purchase
bamboo from farmers
RESTORATION MODEL

24. • This is a bottom-up approach (community up)
• Education Acceptance Participation Implementation
• Key to restoration:
– Long term/large scale
– Each site is unique
– Restoring functionality and productivity is priority
– Balance local needs and high-level priorities
– Use trees to enhance production
HOW WILL RESTORATION WORK?

25. • Pitching skills
• Investor readiness and what to expect
• Investor engagement and negotiation
• Pitching
• Business valuing
• Networking opportunity with other restoration players
• Meeting potential investors at Demo Day. We are still
engaging with about 3
IMPACT OF THE LAND ACCELERATOR

26. • We have missed about 3 planting seasons due to low
rainfall
• Decreased revenue from seedling sales
• Reduced number of restoration projects
• Increased project costs as some areas may require
repeat planting
• The expected maturity of the bamboo has increased by
about a year, thus moving the date of production as well
as returns to our restoration investors
HOW CLIMATE CHANGE HAS
AFFECTED RESTORATION BUSINESS

27. • Exploring drought resilient bamboo species
• Include irrigation and insurance in restoration projects
• Trying to get other revenues like carbon credits to help
manage the high costs that are climate change related
• Managing investor and farmer expectations (increase the
return period)
• Training farmers on smart and integrated agriculture that
includes water harvesting and farm waste management
MITIGATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGES
FOR SUCCESS IN RESTORATION PROJECTS

28. Kuki Njeru
Director, Marketing and Outreach,
Green Pot Enterprises Limited,
kuki@greenpotenterprises.com
+254 721 593 211
CONTACT INFORMATION

29. AFR100 is a pan-African, country-
led initiative to bring 100 million
hectares of degraded lands into
restoration by 2030.
29

30. VISION
We envision a future where 100 million
hectares of degraded landscapes across
Africa have been restored.
This restoration movement is:
• Africa-owned
• Connected
• Adequately financed
• Driven by grassroots & “grasstops”
• Leading the global movement

31. 31
A GROWING NETWORK

32. CORE AREAS OF SUPPORT
• Convene at continental, regional,
national & landscape scales
• Support landscape plans
• Strengthen coordination
• Share knowledge and replicate
• Access finance
• Support coordinated monitoring &
reporting
• Showcase successes and plans

33. NATIONAL FRAMEWORKS IN PLACE
33

34. BUDGETS ALLOCATED FOR RESTORATION
34

35. RESTORATION IS POSITIONED TO SCALE UP
35

36. 36
31.2 Mha in progress of
168.43 Mha committed
(19%)

37. 37
INVESTMENT READINESS TRAINING IN NIGER
Through business scoping, investor research, and targeted investment-readiness training, the project
team is focused on supporting entrepreneurs to pitch their business models and access impact finance.

38. 38
BUSINESS-INVESTOR MATCHMAKING IN MALAWI
Through business scoping and field visits, investor research, discussions on climate risks and adaptation
options, a networking and matchmaking roundtable, and post-event investor introductions, the project team is
working to upscale successful restoration business models. Focus enterprises include: AfriBam, Consolidated
Processing Industries, and Moringa Miracles – enterprises that are all restoring and protecting land, while
targeting different markets (timber, energy, non-timber forest products).

39. RESTORATION MARKETPLACE

40. TURNING BARRIERS INTO STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES
1. Encourage early-stage risk-taking: There are very, very few investors who are willing to invest in an
early-stage restoration enterprise in Africa. Most investors—including impact investors with a focus on
land use in Africa—are unwilling to take the risk on an unproven company. Often, no one wants to be
the first investor, which creates a chicken-and-egg problem for entrepreneurs. WRI and funding
partners can play a role in changing this mindset so that more finance flows to the restoration
economy.
2. Expand the investor base: Investor interest in restoration in Africa is largely limited to impact
investors. There is a need to engage a broader range of funders including foundations, high-net-worth
individuals, and development banks.
3. Mitigate financial risk: Financial mechanisms that reduce risk will bring more private investors to the
table. These mechanisms may include blended finance instruments that bring together public and
private capital, or insurance guarantees for foreign investors who are new to Africa, or first-loss
guarantees that limit the potential for loss.
4. Build Resilience: The ability of early-stage entrepreneurs to adapt to climate risks, such as droughts
and floods, is low. They require support in accessing climate data for planning, prioritizing and
evaluating adaptation options, and implementing options within their own company to be viable in the
face of climate change. WRI can support such enterprises in adaptation planning to build resilience.