CGIAR SEMINAR SERIES
Payments for Ecosystem Services: Win-Win Solutions?
Co-organized by IFPRI, the CGIAR, and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Session at Tropentag 2023
SEP 21, 2023 - 7:45 TO 9:15AM EDT

Globally, five out of six farms are operated by smallholder farmers who produce around one-third of the world’s food. These farms provide a wide range of additional ecosystem services, such as carbon storage, pollination, and cultural and supporting services. However, smallholder households face continued and often growing challenges to making a living from their farms. They also tend to be the poorest and most food-insecure populations in low-and middle-income countries.

Evidence suggests that payments for ecosystem services can diversify smallholder earnings and incentivize more sustainable farming and land management practices. While a number of such smallholder-focused schemes have been implemented around the world, they have not gained enough traction to improve farm incomes or environmental outcomes.

This second seminar of the CGIAR Policy Seminar Series on Strengthening Food Systems examines past and current ecosystem service payment schemes targeted at smallholders, evaluates their effectiveness, and impacts, and explores how such schemes could be taken forward in order to help build greater resilience within food systems.

Welcome Remarks
Johan Swinnen, Managing Director, Systems Transformation, CGIAR; Director General, IFPRI

Payments for Ecosystem Services: What, Where & How?
Marcela Quintero, Associate Director General, Research Strategy, and Innovation for the Alliance of Bioversity and International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT); Senior Director, Food Systems Transformation Science Group

BMZ Interest in Ecosystem Service Payments
Felicitas Röhrig, Senior Policy Officer, Sustainable agricultural supply chains, international agricultural policy, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

Understanding Socio-Ecological Context when Designing PES and Carbon Market Interventions
Steven Lawry, Senior Associate, Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)

Experiences from Linking Farmers with Carbon Markets in Africa
Amos Wekesa, Carbon Specialist, Global EverGreening Alliance (GEA)

The Promise of Commons as a Unique PES Scheme
Pranab Choudhury, Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), Founder, Centre for Land Governance

Moderator

Claudia Ringler, Director, Natural Resources and Resilience (NRR), IFPRI

More about this seminar: https://www.ifpri.org/event/payments-ecosystem-services-win-win-solutions
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LINKS
CGIAR Policy Seminar Series: Strengthening Food Systems For Increased Resilience To Future Shocks: https://www.ifpri.org/spotlight/cgiar-seminar-series-food-systems-resilience

Payments for Ecosystem Services: Win-Win Solutions?

NPS book launch
Political Economy and Policy Analysis (PEPA) Sourcebook
Co-organized by the CGIAR Initiative on National Policies and Strategies, Alliance Bioversity and CIAT, IFPRI and IWMI
October 10, 2023 - 09:00 TO 10:30AM EDT

Stakeholders working in food system policy research and development often ask, “What works where, why, and how?” These fundamental questions fuel other important debates—what are the “windows of opportunity” for reform and policy change? Are biotech crops part of the solution to solving climate, food, and nutrition security challenges in developing economies? What institutional innovations are “best fit” for managing shared natural resources to avoid conflict?

This webinar will launch a new political economy and policy analysis (PEPA) sourcebook that offers a unique combination of frameworks, analytical tools, and case studies to answer key questions relevant to agrifood system transformation. This event showcases the PEPA Sourcebook by applying frameworks to case study examples and discussing the relevance of PEPA for national policies and strategies.

A G E N D A
Opening remarks
Clemens Breisinger, Lead, CGIAR Initiative on National Policies and Strategies (NPS) and Country Program Leader, Kenya, IFPRI
 

PEPA Sourcebook for food systems transformation: Framework, analytical tools, and case studies
Jonathan Mockshell, Research Scientist – Senior Agricultural Economist, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT
Danielle Resnick, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
 

Systems Transformation Research Group Perspective on PEPA
Marcela Quintero, Senior Director, Food Systems Transformation Science Group, CGIAR and Associate Director General, Research Strategy, and Innovation, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT
Alan Nicol, Co-lead, CGIAR Initiative on National Policies and Strategies (NPS) and Principal Researcher, IWMI
 

Panel Discussion: Evidence based insights from political economy and policy analysis for national policies and strategies
Antonia Simbine, Director General, Nigeria Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER)
Jamie Morrison, Senior Advisor, Policy and External Relations, GAIN
Marco V. Sánchez Cantillo, Deputy Director, Agrifood Economics Division, FAO
Biniam Iyob, Senior Policy Adviser, Office of Policy, Analysis and Engagement, Bureau of Resilience and Food Security, USAID
 

Moderator
Naureen Karachiwalla, Research Fellow, IFPRI

More about this seminar: https://www.ifpri.org/event/facilitating-anticipatory-action-improved-early-warning-guidance
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LINKS
Political Economy and Policy Analysis Sourcebook: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/132050
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This work is part of the CGIAR Research Initiative on National Policies and Strategies (NPS) - https://www.cgiar.org/initiative/national-policies-and-strategies/. CGIAR launched NPS with national and international partners to build policy coherence, respond to policy demands and crises, and integrate policy tools at national and subnational levels in countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. CGIAR centers participating in NPS are The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (Alliance Bioversity-CIAT), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), International Water Management Institute (IWMI), International Potato Center (CIP), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and WorldFish. We would like to thank all funders who supported this research through their contributions to the CGIAR Trust Fund (https://www.cgiar.org/funders/).

Political Economy and Policy Analysis (PEPA) Sourcebook

NPS book launch:  Political Economy and Policy Analysis (PEPA) Sourcebook

CGIAR Seminar Series | Series/Special Event
The EU Deforestation Regulation: Policy Implications and Research Frontiers
Co-organized by IFPRI, CGIAR, and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
October 14, 2025

In June 2023, the European Union (EU) adopted its Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR)—a landmark policy designed to reduce global deforestation and forest degradation driven by EU consumption. Under the regulation, key commodities with the biggest impacts on deforestation—soy, cattle, palm oil, cocoa, coffee, wood, and natural rubber—cannot be placed on the EU market or exported unless they are free of deforestation and legally produced.

The EUDR was scheduled for entry into force in December 2025 and in June 2026 for small and micro enterprises, but a one-year delay was proposed by the European Commission on 23 September, due to capacity concerns with the IT system set up for due diligence reporting by businesses.

Join us for this virtual event convening policymakers, development practitioners, researchers, and industry representatives to examine how the EUDR is likely to reshape trade dynamics, sustainability standards, and development priorities across the globe.

As countries and companies prepare for EUDR implementation, this seminar will examine how they can seize upon opportunities and mitigate risks associated with it. Leading voices from government, research, industry, and civil society will discuss how to ensure equitable and inclusive production aligned with EUDR requirements across diverse production systems, and how to address knowledge and technology gaps to support data-driven, smallholder-friendly solutions.

Moderator Welcome Remarks

Charlotte Hebebrand, Director of Communications & Public Affairs, IFPRI

Session 1
Rationale and Scope of the EUDR: Lisa Kirfel-Rühle, Deputy Head of Division 122 Agriculture, Rural Development, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) 
Global Deforestation Trends & Outlook, and Key Considerations Arising from EUDR Implementation: Beria Leimona, Theme Leader, Climate Change, Energy and Low-Carbon Development, The Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF)
International Cooperation Framework: Simon Gmeiner, Policy Officer, European Commission  

Session 2
Engaging on the EUDR: H.E. Andri Hadi, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Kingdom of Belgium, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and the European Union
Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil Certification: Mohd Hasbollah Suparyono, Chief Operating Officer, Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO)
Considerations for Mercosur Countries: Valeria Piñeiro, Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), IFPRI
China’s Efforts to Source Zero Deforestation Soybeans from Brazil: Kevin Chen, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI

Session 3
Inclusive Pathways for Smallholders in Deforestation-Free Supply Chains: Izzana Salleh, Secretary General, Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC)
EUDR implications for coffee and cocoa smallholders in Africa: Vanessa Adams, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Level4International
Identification of Production Origin and Public Verification for Deforestation – Free Agricultural Supply Chains in Colombia: Sandra Durango, Postdoctoral Fellow, Alliance Bioversity and CIAT

More about this Event: https://www.ifpri.org/event/the-eu-deforestation-regulation-policy-implications-and-research-frontiers/

Subscribe IFPRI Insights newsletter and event announcements at www.ifpri.org/content/newsletter-subscription

The EU Deforestation Regulation: Policy Implications and Research Frontiers

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries. Established in 1975, IFPRI currently has more than 600 employees working in over 50 countries. It is a research center of CGIAR, a worldwide partnership engaged in agricultural research for development.

New tracks tagged #Alliance Bioversity and CIAT