CompensACTION: Mobilizing carbon finance for food security and environmental benefits

Alexis Brakhan – Advisor Soil Protection, Combating Desertification, Sustainable Land Management, GIZ

Bernard Kimoro – Head, Climate Change and Livestock Sustainability (CCLSS), State Department for Livestock Development and Member of Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MOALD) Climate Change Unit (CCU)

As the Head of the Climate Change Livestock Sub-Sector (CCLSS) in Kenya, he coordinates and provides guidance for climate change adaptation and mitigation policies within the Livestock sub-sector. His role includes ensuring the harmonization of these policies with national and sectoral plans. With an extensive background in rural development, he has held various positions, including roles in agricultural extension services and livestock development projects. The latest being the Component Manager (Dairy Production Specialist) in the GOK/IFAD Project for a period of 13 years up to 2019.

He has experience in Agriculture Climate Change Policy Development, climate change negotiations focused on agriculture, particularly addressing crop and livestock-related concerns as well as Livestock GHG modelling and Inventory Coordination. He is also engaged in the management of livestock environmental assessments and livestock sustainability and mitigation strategies.

Isaac Rubayiza – Coordinator Eastern Africa Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance

 

Loreen Awuor – Chief of Staff & Head of Partnerships of Kenya National Farmers’ Federation (KENAFF)

 

Ms. Awuor is the Chief of Staff & Head of Partnerships; Kenya National Farmers’ Federation (KENAFF). She is a Doctoral Researcher; Egerton University, and has a background in Environmental Science. Ms. Awuor is a recipient of the 2023 Hubert Curien Partnerships – Research Fellowship Support to UPMC, Sorbonne University. She is an alumnus of the 2022 Young Women Leadership on Climate Adaptation Program and a 2019 Orange Knowledge Program fellow on Global One Health. She is currently an Advisory Group Member; Meaningful Participation of Women in UNFCCC Negotiations; IIED, and chairs the Thematic Working Group on Access and Benefits Sharing and Traditional Knowledge on Agrobiodiversity and Agroecology in Kenya

Moderator :

Wiebe Smit – Policy and Impact Innovator of Clim-EAT

As Policy and Impact Innovator, Wiebe aims to accelerate climate action through meaningful partnerships with individuals and organizations that want to bring positive change to the world’s food system. He leads Clim-Eat’s efforts towards key global platforms such as the UN’s Climate COP and spearheads a groundbreaking climate action project in Kenya.

Previously, Wiebe worked as Program Management Officer for the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) with experiences in programme development and management, policy engagement, and administration. He studied the Master International Development at Wageningen University & Research, with a specialization in Sociology of Development and Change, and is passionate about climate change and development challenges in Africa. He chaired the first ever UNFCCC COP Food System Pavilion and has served as Co-Convener of the Enabling Environment Action Group of The Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture (GACSA). He also worked for the NWO (Dutch Research Council)’s WOTRO Science for Global Development department.

Ineke Keers – Head of Business Development of Acorn Rabobank

Ineke Keers is heading up the Business Development team at Acorn. In this role, Ineke focusses on building relationships with buyers – with a reduction first policy – for Acorn’s carbon removal units. In addition, she aims to provide access to financing for smallholder farmers to make the transition to agroforestry whilst benefiting from additional income via the carbon market.

Aaron Munzaa – Strategy and Finance Director of Soil-Carbon Certification Services (SCCS)

Aaron is the Strategy and Finance Director of Soil-Carbon Certification Services a not-for-profit social enterprise working with farmers in Western Kenya to leverage carbon finance in extension services to adopt Sustainable Agricultural Land Management (SALM) practices. SCCS aims support farmers improve livelihoods, reduce carbon emissions and adapt to and mitigate impact of climate change.

He has nearly 15 years’ experience in finance, business operations, research and advisory in both private sector and development fields. In his other time Aaron advises multilaterals, corporates and other development actors in bottom-of-the-pyramid and global inclusive development areas of agriculture, finance, climate change, and technology.

Bernard Kimoro – Head, Climate Change and Livestock Sustainability (CCLSS), State Department for Livestock Development and Member of Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MOALD) Climate Change Unit (CCU)

As the Head of the Climate Change Livestock Sub-Sector (CCLSS) in Kenya, he coordinates and provides guidance for climate change adaptation and mitigation policies within the Livestock sub-sector. His role includes ensuring the harmonization of these policies with national and sectoral plans. With an extensive background in rural development, he has held various positions, including roles in agricultural extension services and livestock development projects. The latest being the Component Manager (Dairy Production Specialist) in the GOK/IFAD Project for a period of 13 years up to 2019.

He has experience in Agriculture Climate Change Policy Development, climate change negotiations focused on agriculture, particularly addressing crop and livestock-related concerns as well as Livestock GHG modelling and Inventory Coordination. He is also engaged in the management of livestock environmental assessments and livestock sustainability and mitigation strategies.

Moderator :

Wiebe Smit – Policy and Impact Innovator of Clim-EAT

As Policy and Impact Innovator, Wiebe aims to accelerate climate action through meaningful partnerships with individuals and organizations that want to bring positive change to the world’s food system. He leads Clim-Eat’s efforts towards key global platforms such as the UN’s Climate COP and spearheads a groundbreaking climate action project in Kenya.

Previously, Wiebe worked as Program Management Officer for the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) with experiences in programme development and management, policy engagement, and administration. He studied the Master International Development at Wageningen University & Research, with a specialization in Sociology of Development and Change, and is passionate about climate change and development challenges in Africa. He chaired the first ever UNFCCC COP Food System Pavilion and has served as Co-Convener of the Enabling Environment Action Group of The Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture (GACSA). He also worked for the NWO (Dutch Research Council)’s WOTRO Science for Global Development department.

Sophia Baumert – Advisor Agriculture & Climate. GIZ

Dr. Sophia Baumert is an advisor on agriculture and climate change at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) since 2021. Prior to that, she worked for five years as a Project Manager at AFC Agriculture and Finance Consultants. She earned her doctorate at the Center for Development Research conducting research on bioenergy production in Burkina Faso and did her post-doc on social and environmental impact assessment of charcoal production in Mozambique.