The protection of ecosystem services, biological diversity and natural resources also depend on the financial support of companies and private individuals. Currently, nature conservation is primarily financed by the government, but available funds are far too limited to stop the ongoing deterioration of ecosystems and biodiversity in Germany (see, e.g. Naturschutz-Offensive 2020, Agrar-Report 2017). For this reason, scientists, nature conservationists and landscape managers work together in the AgoraNatura team, to develop an online-marketplace for certified nature conservation projects. The marketplace shall promote financial contributions from companies and private individuals to nature conservation and by doing so generate much needed, additional funds for the preservation of nature in Germany.
Our vision:
We want more nature! Through AgoraNatura companies and private individuals finance the preservation or improvement of biodiversity and ecosystem services on at least 100 hectares of land each year.
Our mission:
– AgoraNatura is the central, independent online-marketplace for certified nature conservation projects in Germany!
– AgoraNatura reaches out to new “nature conservation investors” and thereby generates additional funds beyond the already existing donation market!
– AgoraNatura connects investors for nature conservation (companies or private individuals) with land users (e.g. environmental organisations, farmers, municipalities), willing to implement conservation projects! Small and big nature conservation actors have the chance to receive additional funding for their projects!
– AgoraNatura establishes itself as a flexible, non-bureaucratic conservation instrument in addition to governmental programmes (e.g. agri-environmental programmes), private donations (e.g. for environmental education or land purchases) and mandatory offsetting markets (e.g. impact regulation of the German Federal Act for the Protection of Nature)!
– AgoraNatura fosters awareness and knowledge about the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
At the beginning AgoraNatura will primarily focus on agricultural landscapes, where the loss of habitats and biodiversity is particularly severe – in parts due to agricultural policies that still push for an intensive land management.
The AgoraNatura online-marketplace will establish itself as a long-term, self-sustaining and independent platform – also after the end of the project phase in 2021.
