Participation by the CASH Coalition and its members was prominent in bringing smallholder farmers’ perspectives to several sessions and enhancing discussions at SOCAP24 (October 28–30, 2024).

Heiner Baumann, Executive Director of CASH, co-curated the conference’s regenerative food systems track and joined fellow curation council members for the track’s opening panel. 

Their discussion highlighted existing solutions and success stories in the transition to regenerative agriculture, emphasizing the willingness and ability of smallholders to implement regenerative practices and nature-based solutions. Heiner stressed the need for a tenfold increase in funding to support a regenerative transition and the necessity of making funding accessible to frontline land stewards. He urged investors and funders to value and compensate the multitude of co-benefits accruing to decentralized regenerative practices through, for example, local ecosystem services, community health, and other livelihood co-benefits.

James Mwangi, co-founder of Climate Action Platform Africa (CAP-A) and Board Chair of One Acre Fund, moderated a session titled “Financing Regeneration through Climate-Smart Soils: A Pipe Dream, Only Glitter, or Real Gold?” 

James distilled three interrelated levers for regenerating healthy soils: addressing soil acidity e.g., through lime or finely crushed basalt rock, applying organic fertilizers and organic matter (e.g., biochar), and supporting the adoption of regenerative practices like agroforestry. Caroline Shenoy, Manager of Investor Relations at One Acre Fund, joined James’s panel and delivered a powerful statement: “Rwanda’s biggest export isn’t tea or coffee, but the soil and nutrients washed down the country’s rivers.” Caroline highlighted One Acre Fund’s portfolio of regenerative initiatives, including the “One Billion Trees” campaign, which has already facilitated the planting of 215 million trees by smallholders. The program enjoys strong demand from farmers.

Marcelo Cwerner, formerly of CASH member Conexsus, proposed and participated in a session on scaling the Amazon forest’s sustainable food value chains. 

This session introduced SOCAP participants to the high economic, environmental, and planetary value of community-based agroforestry projects, particularly compared to traditional cattle ranching. The panel showcased several regenerative food and beverage entrepreneurs working with forest communities and smallholder farmers to support land restoration and forest preservation.