Kering and Conservation International launch Regenerative Fund for Nature

Today, Kering and Conservation International launched the “Regenerative Fund for Nature” to transform 1 million hectares of farms and landscapes producing raw materials in fashion’s supply chains to regenerative agriculture over the next five years. As an important step in achieving Kering’s commitment to have a net positive impact on biodiversity by 2025, the 1 million hectares under the new Fund is on top of Kering’s goal to protect an additional 1 million hectares of critical, ‘irreplaceable’ habitat outside of its direct supply chain, equalling the transformation of 2 million hectares in total. The Regenerative Fund for Nature will provide grants to farmers, NGOs and key stakeholders who are on the frontlines of developing and scaling agricultural change on the ground. The first round of funding is open to grant applications as of today. 

In launching the Regenerative Fund for Nature, Kering and Conservation International aim to help finance farmers transition from current agricultural practices, which have high impacts on climate and nature, towards more regenerative practices that restore nature and mitigate climate change. The Fund will directly support farmers in adopting regenerative agricultural practices, building awareness of the need for improved farm-level practices, and ensuring the right market mechanisms are in place to scale regenerative agricultural production. Eligible projects will take place in one (or more) of the 17 countries that have been identified through a rigorous analysis  by Conservation International, and will focus on one (or more) of the core raw materials for Luxury - leather, cotton, wool and cashmere. To support a proof of concept for regenerative raw materials in fashion’s supply chain, the Fund has been set up using pioneering science-based tools and methodologies to prioritize projects that will maximize positive impact. The projects’ progress will be monitored to ensure they deliver measurable outcomes for nature, climate and livelihoods. 

 

“Scaling the quantity and quality of natural, regenerative raw materials for the luxury and fashion industry is one of the key goals of the Regenerative Fund for Nature.  Essentially, we are providing funds to groups that can directly trigger change at the farm-level, ultimately transitioning one million hectares to practices that work in harmony with nature,” said Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of International Institutional Affairs at Kering. “As an industry, luxury and fashion can support this pivotal lever of change and help transform agriculture to meet climate goals and stem biodiversity loss.’”

 

“Biodiversity supports the ecosystems on which humanity depends — for the water we drink, the food we eat, and the clothes that we wear,” said Dr. M. Sanjayan, CEO of Conservation International. “Kering’s commitment to protect the nature on which it depends is a massive step forward for the fashion industry, and it represents a huge opportunity for this sector to influence billions of people and help to redefine what we value as consumers of fashion and luxury goods. I applaud Kering’s leadership and look forward to working with them to transform their industry.”
 

Grant applications should be submitted on/before Friday, April 30, 2021.

 

About Kering 
A global Luxury group, Kering manages the development of a series of renowned Houses in Fashion, Leather Goods, Jewelry and Watches: Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Boucheron, Pomellato, DoDo, Qeelin, Ulysse Nardin, Girard-Perregaux, as well as Kering Eyewear. By placing creativity at the heart of its strategy, Kering enables its Houses to set new limits in terms of their creative expression while crafting tomorrow’s Luxury in a sustainable and responsible way. We capture these beliefs in our signature: “Empowering Imagination”. In 2019, Kering had over 38,000 employees and revenue of €15.9 billion.

 

 

About Conservation International
Conservation International is positioned to catalyze a new era in which regenerative agriculture is a global solution for people, nature and climate. By combining science, field programs, corporate partnerships and government engagement, CI is aligning stakeholders around a common vision for regenerative agriculture and developing multi-stakeholder collaborations that incentivize and deliver on its promise. 

 

 

Press Contacts

 

Kering
Emmanuelle Picard-Deyme  |  emmanuelle.picard-deyme@kering.com
Mich Ahern |  Sustainability Communication Consultant  |   mich.ahern@gmail.com
 

Conservation International
Jenny Parker McCloskey   |     jparker@conservation.org

 

 

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