A voluntary, parcel-specific instrument that channels finance directly to land stewards — without the complexity of carbon crediting or the ambiguity of offsetting claims.
"Conservation Note is a simple, low-complexity instrument for funding landscape protection — helping to safeguard long-term supply before degradation becomes costly or irreversible."
Across the world, ecologically important landscapes face growing pressure from land conversion, unsustainable use, and shifting agricultural practices. Many sit within or adjacent to commercial supply chains — yet remain largely invisible to the finance and sustainability tools meant to protect them.
Most instruments available today focus on compliance, compensation, or quantified equivalence. Very few provide direct, early funding for proactive landscape stewardship — before degradation becomes the problem rather than the risk.
Once degradation passes certain thresholds, recovery becomes slow, costly, and difficult to reverse. The window for prevention is finite — and currently underfunded.
Incremental degradation erodes biodiversity before any single trigger event prompts a response — by which point intervention is far more costly.
Buyers face unacknowledged landscape risk embedded in their supply chains, with few structured mechanisms to address it proactively.
Carbon offsets, certification, and philanthropy each play a role — but none are designed specifically for early, traceable stewardship of working landscapes.
A Conservation Note is a time-bound, parcel-specific finance instrument that funds stewardship of ecologically important land. Payments go directly to local land stewards to support non-conversion and active landscape management.
Each parcel is mapped, documented, and monitored over the term. The instrument is voluntary, non-offset, and designed for conservative, auditable claims — without any pretence of ecological equivalence.
Designed to fill the gap between philanthropy and complex market instruments — credible, practical, and directly linked to the land.
A transparent, five-stage process from parcel identification to verified stewardship reporting — simple in structure without sacrificing rigour.
Screen and prioritise parcels under pressure using field data and satellite analysis.
Secure free, prior, and informed consent and agree time-bound stewardship commitments with local land stewards.
Provide direct per-hectare, per-year funding with governance structures ensuring accountability.
Track land status through satellite monitoring and periodic field verification visits.
Deliver transparent, parcel-level reporting with auditable documentation for nature-related disclosure.
Designed to complement existing sustainability programmes — not replace them — while addressing a gap that other instruments leave open.
Helps maintain the ecological health of landscapes that underpin long-term supply before degradation creates operational or reputational risk.
Parcel-level records provide traceable evidence to support TNFD, CSRD/ESRS E4, and broader nature-related reporting requirements.
Conservative claims focused on stewardship and protection — not offsetting — reduce the greenwashing risk of equivalence-based instruments.
Complements certification, farmer support, and sourcing relationships. Designed to sit alongside existing programmes, not compete with them.
Finance flows directly to local stewards, providing more predictable income while strengthening local governance and engagement.
A credible stewardship finance option for landscapes that need funding now, before more complex or quantified instruments become viable.
| Approach | Primary Focus | Relationship to Landscape Stewardship |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon Offsets | Quantified emissions outcomes | May support landscape outcomes indirectly, but not designed for early stewardship of sourcing landscapes |
| Certification | Farm or sourcing practices | Improves production practices but does not usually secure wider landscape stewardship |
| Philanthropy | Social or environmental initiatives | Can support stewardship, but often less parcel-specific and less tied to defined long-term commitments |
| Conservation Note This instrument | Time-bound stewardship of specific parcels | Designed specifically for early, traceable landscape stewardship with conservative, auditable claims |
The first Conservation Note initiative focuses on shea parklands — landscapes that support biodiversity, ecosystem health, and the long-term productivity of shea supply chains across West Africa.
These landscapes face growing pressure from agricultural intensification, fuelwood extraction, fire, shortened fallows, and land conversion. Conservation Note provides a direct, practical mechanism to fund stewardship before degradation passes the point of easy recovery.
Conservation Note is built around a clear set of integrity principles — designed to be credible and useful without overstating what it does.
Conservation Note makes no claim of quantified ecological equivalence. It funds stewardship — nothing more, nothing less.
Each parcel is screened for genuine conservation need. Finance is directed to landscapes that face real, documented pressure.
Parcel-level documentation, satellite monitoring records, and stewardship evidence maintained and available to buyers.
Explicitly designed to complement, not replicate, carbon crediting frameworks. No inflated claims.
All stewardship agreements are built on free, prior, and informed consent with local land stewards and communities.
Interested in piloting Conservation Note within your supply chain or sustainability programme?
Start a ConversationReach out to discuss how Conservation Note could be relevant to your sustainability programmes, sourcing strategy, or nature finance work.