Indigenous Forest Peoples Can Finally Control Nature Finance

ECO-BUSINESS.com – The Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), a new financing mechanism announced ahead of COP30 in Brazil, aims to fund communities on the frontlines of the nature crisis, including Indigenous Peoples and local communities, in recognition of their central role in protecting the world's tropical forests.

According to Eco-business, the previous financing system was too bureaucratic, fragmented, and often did not involve community consent. The authors note that only a small portion of global climate assistance directly reaches communities, even though they manage over 610 million hectares of forests and 40 percent of the world's critical biodiversity areas.

As part of a fairer system, the authors mention three community-based funding models that have been implemented: Podaali Fund in Brazil, Nusantara Fund in Indonesia, and Territorial Fund in Mesoamerica. These funds claim to be transparent, community-driven, and rooted in local knowledge systems. However, funding for these initiatives is considered far from adequate.