Key messages from the Business for Sustainable Landscapes collaboration convening at the Bellagio, May 31-June 2, 2016

As part of the Business for Sustainable Landscapes collaboration, global leaders from the agribusiness and food industry, governmental agencies, and civil society came together at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center in Italy to explore landscape approaches.

Leaders of very diverse organizations shared their experience of initiatives to jointly manage natural resources, increase opportunities for smallholders, and integrate rural development with protection of biodiversity. Despite the differing motivations and goals for collaboration, participants agreed on the importance of landscape partnerships and the need for better messaging to businesses, engagement of governments, and more effective public and private finance mechanisms.

4 key next steps

• Develop and communicate a case for businesses to invest in landscape approaches.
• Increase access to sustainable finance in integrated landscape management.
• Mobilize governments to incorporate landscape management into development and investment strategies.
• Improve tools, methods and skills for convening, facilitating, designing and implementing landscape initiatives.