The Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity (BIOFUND), participated in the 14th General Assembly of the African Conservation Funds Consortium (CAFÉ), held in Swakopmund, Namibia, from September 2 to 6, 2024. BIOFUND’s delegation was composed of Narciso Matos, Chairman of the Board of Directors; Tereza Alves, Chair of the Fiscal Council; Alexandra Jorge, Program Director; Samiro Mangane, Biodiversity Conservation Program Coordinator; Vanda Machava, Biodiversity Offsets Program Manager; and Celina Sitole, Accountant.

The event, organized by the Community Conservation Fund of Namibia (CCFN), included 17 of the 19 CAFÉ members in person and brought together participants from 27 countries, including 19 from Africa and 4 from Latin America, as well as representatives from Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Monaco. RedLAC was also represented by environmental funds from Bolivia, El Salvador, and Costa Rica.

The main theme of the 14th Assembly, “Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) Towards the 30×30 Conservation Targets,” emphasized the central role of communities and Indigenous peoples in biodiversity conservation. The five-day event featured intensive discussions and experience sharing in thematic sessions on Namibia’s experience in conservation and CBNRM, governance of Conservation Trust Funds (CTFs), knowledge and experience sharing from CAFÉ and RedLAC CTFs under the BRIDGE Mentorship Project, emerging financing and market trends for conservation, and partnerships in Africa.

The Assembly was officially opened by CAFÉ President Dr. Théophile Zognou and CCFN Vice President and Executive Director Tapiwa Makiwa, who highlighted the importance of cooperation among governments, civil society, and the private sector to address conservation and sustainable natural resource management challenges in Africa.

BIOFUND stood out for its substantial contributions, with presentations by Vanda Machava on Biodiversity Offsets, highlighting key activities carried out and results achieved in Mozambique, emphasizing the role of environmental funds in implementing biodiversity offsets. In addition, BIOFUND participated in the BRIDGE Mentorship Program panel discussion, sharing its experiences in fundraising with the private sector, biodiversity offsets, and impact investment, reinforcing the importance of private sector partnerships for the sustainability of conservation initiatives.

In a parallel session of the “Enduring Earth” program, four case studies from Gabon, Alaska, Mongolia, and Namibia were presented under the Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) initiative, aiming for long-term and lasting conservation.

BIOFUND also took the opportunity to strengthen ties with representatives from Angola, Guinea-Bissau, and São Tomé and Príncipe, Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP), who showed interest in BIOFUND’s experience, especially during the initial phase of establishing their respective environmental funds.

The event concluded with a visit to the iconic Spitzkoppe, Gaingu Conservancy, where participants observed local conservation projects and the benefits generated by sustainable tourism for local communities.

BIOFUND’s active participation reinforces its ongoing commitment to biodiversity conservation, sharing knowledge, influencing policies, and mobilizing resources for the preservation of Mozambique’s and Africa’s ecosystems.