Protecting People, Forests, Water and Climate Change: Setting the Stage for Real Solutions

Yesterday, June 21, AD Partners, along with co-hosts Dr. Jane Goodall and Sir Richard Branson, hosted a High Level event on Advancing Public-Private Partnerships for Deforestation-Free, Sustainable Agriculture.

The gathering featured distinguished speakers including; Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States, Lisa Jackson; Chairman of the United Nations Foundation Board of Directors and Founder of CNN, Ted Turner; and a video address by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.

AD Partners hosted this major event to showcase important pathways to slow, halt and reverse deforestation in the context of sustainable development.

At the event, Mary Robinson, President of the Foundation discussed how the impacts of climate change on people’s access to adequate food and nutrition demonstrates climate injustice and that we must find solutions that are informed by climate justice. “We must empower smallholder famers, most of whom are women – to have secure land tenure and access to water, credit and training” she said.

Mrs Robinson emphasised the importance of having a people-centred approach to addressing climate change and stressed the importance of connecting the dots between agriculture and forestry as connected livelihood, food and nutrition security strategies.


AD Partners hosted this major event to showcase important pathways to slow, halt and reverse deforestation.

When asked how NGOs, governments, and companies could work together to find environmental solutions that respond to people’s needs, Mrs Robinson discussed the work of the Foundation which proposes the use of social protection systems, which target the poorest in society, to deliver access to innovative and renewable energy technologies.

She said “if we don’t find targeted ways for innovation to reach the poorest – they won’t reap the benefits.”

The AD Partners Rio+20 event focussed on current and future efforts of companies, governments and civil society to develop a robust marketplace for products that come from deforestation-free, sustainable agricultural practices.

Related:

Our Work: Access to Energy

Avoided Deforestation Partners