Study on Biodiversity Positive Impact: Insights from the MFF Biodiversity Evaluation

How can finance help protect forests, restore ecosystems, and support communities? A new independent study, carried out on behalf of MFF to create an evidence base that enhances our understanding of finance's potential to positively impact biodiversity, explores just that.

The evaluation of the Mobilising Finance for Forests (MFF) programme shows how targeted investments in forestry and sustainable land use can deliver measurable biodiversity benefits while creating economic opportunities. The Mobilising Finance for Forests (MFF) program is dedicated to mobilising private capital into the forestry and sustainable land use sectors. MFF was launched in 2021 with support from the UK government together with FMO; the government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands joined in 2024 as a second funding partner. By investing in companies and funds that add value to, protect, and restore forests, the program aims to generate strong co-benefits for society and biodiversity.

Nature-Based Enterprises in Action

The report highlights Nature-based Enterprises (NBEs) as some of the most promising models for biodiversity-positive finance. These enterprises prove that restoring nature can also be good business.

Take the example of an agroforestry project that integrates cocoa plantations with teak forests. Instead of relying on monocultures, farmers cultivate a mixed landscape that generates income from high-value timber and cocoa beans while restoring degraded land and creating habitats for wildlife.

Other NBEs include:

• Sustainable forestry ventures that combine certified timber production with conservation zones.

• Ecotourism initiatives in biodiversity-rich regions that turn ecosystem protection into jobs and community income.

• Blue economy projects like seaweed farming and mangrove restoration, linking marine conservation with food security and carbon capture.

NBEs demonstrate that biodiversity doesn’t need to be a “co-benefit.” It can be the core objective, with revenues flowing from sustainable commodities, carbon and biodiversity credits, and eco-tourism, while ecosystems and communities thrive.

Key Findings from the Study

• The need for a clear biodiversity finance strategy, alongside climate goals.

• Business models like regenerative agriculture, sustainable forestry, and ecotourism deliver both ecological and financial value.

• Robust impact measurement tools—from biodiversity credits to remote sensing—are essential to avoid greenwashing and ensure accountability.

• Scaling Nature-based Solutions (NbS) can unlock triple wins for climate, biodiversity, and people.

The report, developed by Trinomics and Rio Impact, provides actionable pathways to help development finance institutions, investors, and project developers move from biodiversity as a “co-benefit” to biodiversity as a core investment goal.

Read the full report: Study on Biodiversity Positive Impact