Green Recovery Commitments: Practical Measures for Action

A green recovery from COVID-19 will take a global effort. IDH and Conservation International have put forward a number of recommendations for how to best leverage COVID-19 economic recovery support packages in the land use sector for the benefit of people and the planet.

  • Recovery policies can deliver on economic goals and boost the transition to sustainable agriculture.
  • Ecosystem restoration, sustainable agriculture and future-proofed infrastructure offer a high return on investment and multiple co-benefits.
  • Long-term viability of green interventions depends on multi-stakeholder participation and community inclusion.

© Tory Read

The COVID-19 crisis has revealed the vulnerability of our global supply chains. Urban workforces returned to rural areas with agricultural lands of low productivity and were faced in some regions with humanitarian crises. The spread of the pandemic has shown how degradation of nature places lives of urban and rural populations at risk.

COVID-19 economic recovery support packages by governments and institutions can present a unique opportunity to create jobs and make the transition to sustainable agricultural production systems possible. Governments, international organizations and industry leaders have published commitments and open letters in recent weeks, calling for a ‘green recovery’ based on production and consumption in line with our planetary boundaries. From the perspective of the IMF, we have seen a massive injection of fiscal stimulus to help countries deal with this crisis, and to shift gears for growth to return. It is of paramount importance that this growth should lead to a greener, smarter, fairer world in the future.

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