This 90-minute webinar will convene leaders from community enterprises, development finance institutions, commercial banking, innovation finance, and regional bioeconomy initiatives to explore a central question:

How can socio-bioeconomy stakeholders in Africa and financiers communicate more effectively to scale bioeconomic activities on the continent?

The discussion will focus specifically on how community-led and SMME-driven bioeconomy initiatives can become more investment-ready, scalable, and bankable, while ensuring that economic value remains rooted in local landscapes and communities. The session is designed as a practical and solutions-oriented dialogue for stakeholders working across Africa and the broader Global South. It will concentrate on:

  • Financial support systems for community enterprises and SMMEs
  • Investment readiness and bankability
  • Lessons from successful and unsuccessful financing approaches
  • Translating community realities into investor frameworks
  • Building practical financing ecosystems for nature-based enterprises

The webinar will also serve as an opportunity to gather reflections and perspectives that can inform the ongoing work of the African Bioeconomy Finance Hub (ABFH) and the Global Bioeconomy Challenge around developing a shared framework and “common language” for financing Africa’s bioeconomy transition. It will also contribute to the broader work of the Community-Led Forest Economies (CLFE) movement, a global partnership working across tropical forest regions to strengthen community-led economies rooted in forest stewardship, territorial governance, biocultural heritage, and local enterprise development.

Register for this webinar

By registering for this webinar, you agree to receive essential emails related to this event (e.g., confirmation, access details, follow-ups) from World Resources Institute.