Africa’s Biodiversity Economy: Transforming Conservation Into Economic Growth and Sustainable Development with Edwin Tambara

[00:00:00] You're listening to the Unlocking Africa Podcast.

[00:00:30] Many African countries is going to help in further integration and mainstreaming of nature within our economic systems. Stay tuned as we bring you inspiring people who are unlocking Africa's economic potential. You're listening to the Unlocking Africa Podcast with your host, Terser Adamu.

[00:00:55] Welcome to the Unlocking Africa Podcast, where we find inspirational people who are doing inspirational things to unlock Africa's economic potential. Today, we have Edwin Tambara, who is Director of Global Leadership at the Africa Wildlife Foundation, which is the largest and oldest African international conservation organization.

[00:01:21] AWF focuses on building a future where people and wildlife thrive through an African-led conservation agenda. Welcome, welcome, welcome to the podcast, Edwin. How are you? I'm good, Tessa. Thank you. Thank you for having me. It's a pleasure to have you on the podcast today. I know you've listened to a few episodes and as always, I like to start from the beginning.

[00:01:46] So I was hoping you can give us a brief introduction into who Edwin Tambara is. Yeah, thank you. I love your podcast and it's a pleasure to be here. So Edwin Tambara is from Zimbabwe. I'm born and raised in Zimbabwe. And I grew up in an area just outside of Harare called Dombushaba.

[00:02:11] And really, that's where my love for nature started, because I grew up in an environment that had lots of mountains and forests. And, you know, our very lives were intertwined with nature. And so even from a very young age, I understood how nature played a part in our lives.

[00:02:37] And that played a big role in informing my education and career choices. Fantastic. So you've given us a brief introduction into your personal life, born and raised in Zimbabwe. Boy, where your love for nature started, which has led you to the work that you're doing now at AWF.

[00:02:57] So I was hoping you could briefly explain in terms of the work that you're specifically involved with in terms of the biodiversity economies, in terms of the initiative, how that has started, how it's currently going. Yeah, so biodiversity economies is an emerging area of work, not only for AWF, but for a number of conservation partners on the continent and a number of African countries.

[00:03:27] But really, the concept of how can we come up with solutions for people in our nations to generate benefits from our biodiversity has always been there. In fact, at AWF, we have worked over the 60 years we've been in existence.

[00:03:50] Part of our work has always looked at, you know, how do we help local communities, protected area authorities and other private sector entities to derive, you know, economic benefits from biodiversity. But really, much of this, we approached it from a project level, if I could say.

[00:04:16] And we have had good successes and good models that we have been able to develop, particularly, I should say, in the tourism space. But the realization now has come by looking at where Africa is and where Africa is going, but also not only Africa, but the world.

[00:04:40] And the reality is, unless we really look at this biodiversity space as an equally important economic space, it's going to be difficult to achieve conservation, particularly in Africa. Because Africa right now is making decisions and driving initiatives that are going to transform the continent.

[00:05:09] And if biodiversity is not seen as part of that, as a key pillar to that, then we are going to continue fighting a losing battle of how can biodiversity exist in a changing Africa, in a modernizing Africa, in a developing Africa.

[00:05:30] So for us, really, the idea of biodiversity economy is now has gained momentum based on that with the realization that Africa has a resource that it can use as part of its economic agenda.

[00:05:47] And we can achieve the twin goals of conservation and stop biodiversity, further biodiversity loss, but also achieve development and the various things that African countries want to achieve with the development. And I will add to how biodiversity economies can help in achieving some of those specific things.

[00:06:13] So really, those are some of the key drivers as to why at AWF, we are focused on biodiversity economies and are partnering with African countries to see how we can grow biodiversity economies. So if we can take a few steps back, I mean, for those that aren't familiar with this area of work, how would you define a biodiversity economy? For us, again, as I said, it's an emerging space.

[00:06:43] Certainly, you know, experts and academics are still, you know, grappling with a definition to agree on. But as we understand, it's an economy that's grounded in activities that depend directly on sustainable conservation and utilization of indigenous biodiversity resources. So that's how we define the biodiversity economy.

[00:07:10] So I guess leading on from that, you're mentioning some of the work that you're doing in terms of collaborating, working in partnerships with governments. So I was wondering in terms of how AWF collaborates with governments, specifically in Zimbabwe. What does that look like? How would you work with the governments to enhance the country's biodiversity economy? Yeah, thank you. Good question. So collaboration starts from different angles.

[00:07:39] And as we are finding out, particularly in this space around biodiversity economy, there are many questions that governments are opposing. And within governments, as you know, you have different ministries that have certain agendas. And as it happened in Zimbabwe, if I can go to Zimbabwe and use Zimbabwe as an example, that we're grappling with the question of how exactly does biodiversity contribute to our economy?

[00:08:09] In fact, that's a question that the Ministry of environment. In fact, that's a question that the Ministry of Finance was asking the Ministry of Environment, that, you know, each year we apportion a fiscal and monetary budget to you. But, you know, can you show us in concrete ways how biodiversity contributes to our economy? And I think for the most part, you know, the Ministry of Environment had answers.

[00:08:36] But, you know, much of that was limited mostly to tourism. And it's not peculiar to Zimbabwe. This is a common feature in most African countries that the understanding that they're mostly in terms of how does biodiversity, how does wildlife contribute to our economies? It's mostly through tourism.

[00:08:59] But there's a whole suite of other ways that biodiversity contributes to our economies that we do not clearly understand. And so the Ministry of Environment in Zimbabwe could only partially answer that question.

[00:09:16] And so they came to us and said, can we partner together so that we can really interrogate this and be able to adequately, you know, answer this question being posed by the Ministry of Finance? And so that's how we started the partnership.

[00:09:37] Of course, we sat down and discussed what we needed to look at in terms of the biodiversity economy in Zimbabwe. We outlined in terms of what are some of the subsectors within that biodiversity economies and what is happening within each of those subsectors in terms of what the Ministry of Environment saw as priority subsectors

[00:10:07] within that economy. And it was amazing to see the information that came out of the exercise we did in Zimbabwe. But again, I'll talk more details about some of the key outcomes that we managed to find. But again, in terms of how we partner with governments for us, you know, it's demand led.

[00:10:35] It's African governments asking us to to come and help with some of these initiatives and realizing that, again, this is an emerging space where countries might not necessarily have the capacity or technical know-how.

[00:10:55] And in some instances, in many instances, actually, the resources to be able to undertake these initiatives that can really surface what does the biodiversity economy look like in their own countries. So for us, it's a critical thing that we get that request and we are able to then go in and support countries on that. Brilliant.

[00:11:23] So keeping to the theme of collaboration and partnerships, obviously, you've outlined a partnership with governments. But how do you work closely with other key stakeholders, such as the local communities, which are where the wildlife or the economies are, investors? How do you work alongside them in conjunction with the government? Absolutely important, Tessa.

[00:11:47] Communities are indispensable when it comes to, you know, conservation, but also even as we specifically talk about biodiversity economies. They are the ones who are the stewards, the primary stewards of these resources. And in fact, they have been living side by side with, you know, wildlife and in these ecosystems for thousands of years.

[00:12:15] And so the knowledge they have in terms of, you know, what it takes to conserve, what it takes to live next to wildlife is very, very critical. But also the knowledge they have as to the uses of these natural resources is also very, very critical. So for us, that's the foundation.

[00:12:38] Much of our work, even outside biodiversity economies, is really grounded in working in partnership with local communities to ensure that they are empowered and they are able to continue managing and conserving their natural heritage. So we do work very closely with communities, with community leaders.

[00:13:06] As we work very closely with other stakeholders as well. As you know, in these conservation landscapes, you are not only looking at a single stakeholder. As we mentioned, governments has a role. Communities have a role. But also more often there is private sector.

[00:13:27] You know, biodiversity intersects or conservation intersects with so many other sectors that may be a play in a particular landscape. That could be agriculture. That could be mining. That could be health, education.

[00:13:43] And so all those stakeholders we have to engage in many of the processes that we undertake on the ground and in many of the initiatives and interventions we take on the ground. And for conservation to be successful, it shouldn't be done in isolation. It has to be integrated with everything else that's happening in the landscape.

[00:14:10] You know, the communities we are talking about, they have settlements that need to also sit side by side with, you know, our conservation areas. They have livelihood needs that need to be undertaken in the same landscapes.

[00:14:26] And so, you know, our work is to come in and help and look at how can this be done in harmony with conservation goals, with economic development goals. So those are some of the critical stakeholders that we work with. And again, particularly then when you're looking at the biodiversity economy, the private sector is also very, very, very critical.

[00:14:56] You know, an obvious one would be, as I mentioned, tourism is one of the key mechanisms to generate revenue and benefits from our biodiversity assets. So we work very closely with a lot of tourism stakeholders, tourism operators who manage tourism enterprises and other establishments that help to generate revenues, jobs and other things.

[00:15:23] So just as an example, but also beyond tourism, you know, there are so many other economic activities that happen in these areas that include private sector, but also even outside conservation.

[00:15:39] As I mentioned, if you look at agriculture, sometimes in these landscapes, you have actually commercial agriculture in agro-industrial estates that are sitting side by side with conservation areas.

[00:15:53] And there are places, for example, in Tanzania, in the Kilimpero Valley, where we have worked very closely with agro-industrial sugar and rice and tick production companies who have estates in that landscape.

[00:16:11] But looking at how can their production happen in such a way that it doesn't harm the biodiversity that is there, but can actually help to conserve the biodiversity. They are also concerned about, you know, where the water that feeds into their production system comes from. Much of it comes from the protected areas, the conservation areas in those areas.

[00:16:38] So they have a vested interest to ensure that these areas are conserved and they remain viable and continue to provide the services that make their businesses sustainable. So there are different players that we engage for various reasons, but all with the same aim of making sure that biodiversity can happen in harmony with other development,

[00:17:05] livelihood and economic goals in these areas. I guess in addition to the work that you do with communities, part of the work that you do is providing deep insights and reports that inform in terms of what's happening in this space. One of those reports being the Zimbabwe Biodiversity Economy Report. I wanted to just understand what would you say are the main aims or objectives of creating these type of reports?

[00:17:35] Really good question, Tessa. For us, this reports tools that are needed. First of all, to help bring in understanding. Like I said on some of these questions that are being asked, how does biodiversity contribute to our economies? At a local, as you mentioned, at a local, it could be a very local community site specific or landscape level.

[00:18:03] But also at a national level. What does that look like when we say biodiversity is a key part of our economy? I think for a very long time, we have always been saying that. But without, you know, clear and tangible evidence of how that is happening.

[00:18:23] And if I say if you go to any other sectors, they will give you, you know, clear statistics, you know, of, you know, what are the opportunities and how people, you know, utilizing or exploring those opportunities, how much is being generated, how many jobs are being created and all that. And it helps in decision making in those particular sectors.

[00:18:48] It helps with solutions and the innovations that are coming into these sectors because people have the information at their fingertips. It's not always perfect, but, you know, at least there is a good understanding of what is happening. That has not been the case for the most part in many countries when it comes to conservation and biodiversity.

[00:19:14] And so these reports form the baseline tools that we need to start understanding how does biodiversity contribute to our economies. And then, of course, the second question is, you know, what does that look like? You know, in what ways is it really contributing?

[00:19:36] So, you know, in any particular country, when we start teasing out, looking at, again, you know, what are those subsectors making up the biodiversity economies? Like I said, from tourism in other countries, you then look at non-timber forest products. You look at forestry, you look at fisheries, you look at an emerging space that's called bioprospecting,

[00:20:02] really looking at products that are being used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics spaces. All those medicinal uses, all those are other various ways in which we are utilizing biodiversity. And in each of those subsectors, you know, there are thousands of value chains,

[00:20:26] thousands of products that are being developed and thousands of players who are involved in those value chains and products that we really do not have a comprehensive understanding of how that is happening. Where are those value chains? What's the nature of those value chains? Who is really involved doing what, generating what and benefiting in what ways?

[00:20:56] But also, you know, how much revenue are we generating? How many jobs are we creating from all those things? But also, most importantly, is it being done in a sustainable way? That's not harming the very biodiversity that we want to protect. So all this information is really critical in gaining that intimate understanding that we need.

[00:21:24] And again, I think so far it hasn't happened because we haven't looked at this space as a viable economic sector. As I said, the work we have done has in many ways been ad hoc, has been in isolated projects side by side, but not really in a holistic approach and viewing this as an economic sector. That needs to be looked at in that way.

[00:21:52] So this information, the reports that we are beginning to work with countries and generate this information and evidence is now bringing to the surface the details of how this is happening, but also the importance of biodiversity economies within this local context, but also within our national level economies.

[00:22:17] And I think then the use for this information from understanding we are then, once you have information and evidence available, is beginning to help in crafting the right strategies to better conserve, crafting the right policies to stimulate growth of the wildlife economies,

[00:22:41] crafting the right blueprints to attract investment into the sector. But it starts with that good understanding, with that good evidence base, which is accessible and easily understood by local communities, other stakeholders, but also importantly by policymakers.

[00:23:06] So that has been a game changer in many countries that we have worked. And I think one of the stakeholders we have seen really empowered, apart from local communities, are also these ministries of environment. They see this now as a key tool that helps them engage their colleagues in government,

[00:23:33] particularly when you are talking about ministries of finance, ministries of economic planning. Now they have information they can bring to the table that really shows the status of their biodiversity economies and how that is contributing to the country's GDP or other economic parameters. They also have, you know, information on where opportunities for growth are

[00:24:02] and ideas on the policy instruments that are needed to enable that to happen. So it's really these reports are giving them the ammunition that they have always needed to be taken seriously and not just be seen as, you know, a sinking hole in terms of we are putting money to protect this biodiversity, but we are not really seeing the return on investment.

[00:24:29] So, you know, the narrative is beginning to shift. And hopefully as we continue this work, we'll see more of that happening. Brilliant. So you touched on these subsections or subsectors and the opportunities. From the work that you're doing, what are some of the most promising subsectors that you're seeing in terms of the biodiversity economy? And how do you come to the conclusion that these are the most promising as well?

[00:24:58] Yeah. So as you know, you know, Africa is very, is huge. 54 countries all blessed with unique ecosystems and different wildlife. That means as you move from one country to the other, what they see as the most important or the most promising subsector of the biodiversity economy also varies. But, you know, there are some common things as well.

[00:25:26] I should say tourism remains one of the key important pillars. Of course, there was a disruption when COVID happened. And actually, that's when many countries also kind of realized that just relying on tourism is not going to be enough. Because when tourism stopped and our protected and other conserved areas couldn't, you know, receive tourists and generate revenues,

[00:25:53] there was a huge shortfall in the funds that are needed to manage these conservation areas, but also the benefits that were being generated to communities, the jobs that were being sustained through tourism. All the same, I think tourism has bounced back now and it's beginning to grow. And even within the tourism space, countries also realize the importance of domestic tourism.

[00:26:20] So in many countries, the focus was so much on international tourism. And when that stopped because of COVID, you know, countries were forced to really think hard about the importance of, you know, domestic tourism. A few others that have been leading on this, like South Africa, has been very innovative in promoting domestic tourism. But that's another pillar that promises huge potential, you know, huge potential for growth.

[00:26:49] If we can showcase the opportunities that are there for Africans to travel within their own countries. But also, if we start to develop products, tourism products that are accessible to local populations and local people that they are able to go and visit our conservation areas. There is huge potential for growth there. And it's a common thing among many African countries.

[00:27:18] But away from tourism, other promising sectors also, like I said, you know, non-timber forest products are a really huge promising space. Because they are also important, not only for revenue generation that comes from, there are thousands of products that are being, you know, harvested from nature.

[00:27:42] Whether for subsistence use at the household level or for commercial, you know, when you talk about honey, when you talk about insects, mushrooms, thatching grass, wild fruits, and so many other things that, you know, people are utilizing. There is huge potential there. And we have only scratched the surface.

[00:28:06] Some of these plants and animals, we are yet to discover their uses as well. And so there's much potential there in many countries, particularly when you're looking at, you know, countries with, you know, tropical forests.

[00:28:25] There is huge potential in terms of non-timber forest products that need to be assessed, but also look at what are the viable investment opportunities for that. In Zimbabwe alone, we were able to uncover that utilization of non-timber forest products is worth almost 500 million US dollars annually.

[00:28:50] And even that is a very, very conservative estimation in terms of the value. And when you start looking at the details of a single product and the value chain and the people who are involved in that and the benefits they are generating, the revenues being generated from that.

[00:29:13] If we stake up all those benefits, actually, you see, you realize it's, it's, the figure is way beyond 500 million. But this was the baseline estimation we could do in that exercise. So that's, that's really one, one other sector, which is critically important.

[00:29:31] But also African countries see this sector as important for other reasons, particularly food provision and nutritional value. Because many of these non-timber forest products we derive from these ecosystems, you know, also provide food for our local population. But much of that also is, is, is, is, is, is sold.

[00:29:56] And in an era where we are facing increased, you know, extreme climatic events that are threatening our food systems and our ability to adapt, you know, what we are getting from these natural ecosystems will be very, very important. And so this whole space is going to be important to complement our food systems, our food basket in, in various countries in, in Africa.

[00:30:26] But also just the nutritional value of what you get from these products is you cannot replace it. You cannot manufacture it. You know, it's, it's from nature. It's, it's, it's organic as it gets.

[00:30:41] And so that's another important element that people are beginning to, to focus on and realize that, you know, these non-timber forest products, particularly the food products, are important, not only for economic reasons, but also for nutritional value that they, they bring. So that's another space.

[00:31:05] The other space I could talk about is also, like I mentioned before, uh, bioprospecting, which many countries are actually excited about because for a very long time, uh, a lot of foreign entities, foreign researchers were coming into, into Africa and taking, you know, these biodiversity assets.

[00:31:27] And then going on to develop products without, you know, the requisite benefits to the countries of origin for some of these, uh, products. But all that was driven by the fact that we are not aware what we have and what that could lead to.

[00:31:47] So again, people are beginning to look at this space with a fresh look and the potential that is there in terms of, uh, again, like I said, pharmaceuticals, um, and, and, you know, the cosmetics that are being developed across the world. A lot of them also actually get inputs, uh, from our biodiversity.

[00:32:09] So in fact, in Zimbabwe, that's one of the subsectors they've actually prioritized and the follow on work that's going to happen from, uh, this assessment that was done, uh, is, is, is going to start looking at that, you know, bias prospecting subsector and look at how the country can be able to really develop bespoke investment blueprint.

[00:32:37] That looks at what we have and how that can be developed, um, um, for the benefit of, of the economy. So those are some of the, you know, key sectors that are showing a huge potential. I would say the forestry sector has, as, as, as been developed to some extent in, in, in a number of countries, uh, but particularly when you are looking at countries that have, uh, this tropical forest in the Congo basin.

[00:33:07] Um, but also the Guinenian forest, the upper Guinenian forest in, in, in, when you are talking of, uh, West Africa, the forestry sector is, is quite developed in those, um, areas, but still there is huge potential, especially in value addition. Of not just exporting some of the products from these forests, but how can we actually now begin looking at processing that value adds.

[00:33:35] And so that whatever we might sell domestically or, uh, internationally actually brings in more, more value. The fishery sector, I could also say the same, it's, it's, it's relatively, uh, developed in many countries. There are so many issues that have to be solved, but I think it's one of the areas that, uh, countries for a very long time have, uh, have worked on, uh, but still can be improved.

[00:34:04] Before I stop one other area, I think just talking about another area that has huge potential, but it, it has sort of gone in, um, in bits and stats. It's, it's, it's, it's, it's payment for ecosystem services or in many spaces, what people are beginning to call nature credits. And one of the most common here is carbon, you know, carbon credits, the carbon market. It has huge potential.

[00:34:34] Uh, but again, I think, uh, as a subsector, there are so many things that countries need to, to solve here. Uh, of course, globally, I think, uh, there are many things that need to change in how the market is. It is structured so that the finances can really flow from the global markets into, uh, the areas where these carbon credits are being generated.

[00:34:59] There's also work that needs to be done on the ground in making sure that there are right structures within, uh, communities and other land owners that they are able to govern, uh, these resources and be able to, uh, equitably, you know, uh, distribute. The resources that are coming from these, um, you know, carbon credits.

[00:35:22] Uh, there, there is work to be done by governments as well in really setting the right policy frameworks that enables a lot of the things I'm talking about.

[00:35:32] And, and, and those have been some of the barriers to really realizing the potential that is there with, with carbon markets, but also with a whole suite of other, you know, ecosystem services, um, including water provision, pollination services that, you know, these systems, uh, provide.

[00:35:53] To also now other people are talking about biodiversity credits, but all this can, can only happen when we have, you know, the conducive policy environment that really provides the right framework. So that those who are making sure that these, uh, services are conserved can be the right beneficiaries for any revenues or any other benefits that are generated from that.

[00:36:20] So if we keep on the theme of the carbon credits and look at some of the innovative financial models and tools are being used, what would you say are some of the financial tools and mechanisms that AWF are using to attract investment within this space, within the conservation space? Yeah, that's a, that's an important question.

[00:37:13] For some of the promising, uh, for some of the promising, uh, enterprises that I've talked about from tourism to agricultural value chains that are sustainable and help us with, with conservation. Uh, and we have helped to develop a really good and viable conservation and other sorts of enterprises, uh, through impact investment, uh, that we are able to bring in ourselves or partner with other institutions.

[00:37:42] That are, uh, uh, uh, able to, to, to bring in that, that, um, kind of, uh, investment. Uh, but also we, we've been working with other partners to look at conservation bonds as other financial, um, mechanisms that can be looked at and help to attract investment into the sector. Again, again, making the case that there is a return on investment when you invest in nature.

[00:38:11] They are leading partners. The World Bank just did, uh, a bond, supported a bond, for example, a rhino bond in, in South Africa, which from what I hear is, is very promising. Uh, there are other initiatives, similar initiatives that are shaping up in countries like, uh, Rwanda that are really promising as well in terms of this conservation, um, bonds. Uh, so that's another instrument that's really promising.

[00:38:40] Of course, another instrument is, you know, debt for nature swaps given the climate, you know, a financial climate, uh, across the globe. And, um, the debt burden that, uh, many African countries are facing, um, there is also an opportunity in there to, uh, generate resources for conservation and investment into these opportunities around conservation, uh, in debt for nature, uh, swaps.

[00:39:08] In fact, that's one thing that we actually were discussing yesterday with the African leadership university who are really, uh, trying to explore how that can be pushed and scaled up to many countries in, in Africa as a, as a potential source for investments into conservation.

[00:39:29] So those are some of the instruments, but at the end of the day, I think for a very long time, conservation has relied on donor funding, whether it's bilateral, multilateral, uh, or funding from philanthropic, you know, individuals and, and, and corporates, which is still needed for, for us to be able to protect and conserve our areas.

[00:39:56] But also we have to look at ways we can generate these resources on the ground. And again, biodiversity economies are one way to, to do that. You know, if we are able to create viable products in a sustainable way, there are markets that are ready for, for these products.

[00:40:19] And so we can create enterprises that, you know, can help us generate these revenues and plow back those resources into supporting conservation efforts, but also supporting livelihood and other economic needs in this country. So I can point to some of those instruments as examples of, of what is happening. And some of those, those AWF has been involved in trying to open up new opportunities for financing.

[00:40:49] Brilliant. I guess in line with this and also the prioritizing of the biodiversity economy and government policy, have you seen increased integration of biodiversity into say national accounting systems and also economic planning? Yes, I think there's a lot to be done in making sure that is realized, but I think there is now a good understanding that,

[00:41:18] you know, we have been missing out on not looking at how nature plays a part in our economic systems. There is good appreciation that just limiting it to how we measure our GDP is limited and is not comprehensive in encompassing nature's contribution.

[00:41:42] So a number of countries now have initiatives particularly focused on natural capital accounting, which really looks at the stock of, you know, you know, that is this biodiversity, the ecosystems and the services, but also even, you know, our soils, the water, the land and building, you know, different accounts.

[00:42:09] You know, that's really specifically look at what does the resource base look like and what is the contribution to our national accounts. And in a number of countries now, they might not have completed the whole suite of accounts that I mentioned from forest land to, you know, you know, other types of accounts.

[00:42:34] But work has started now to really assess and look at what those accounts look like. In fact, there is one example is the World Bank supported initiatives called the Waze Program, which has partnered with a number of countries across the world.

[00:42:53] And I think in Africa, close to 20 countries that are part of that initiative that is really helping to support them in building their natural capital accounts. And I think if we get to a stage where these natural accounts are part of our accounting systems,

[00:43:16] our national economic accounting systems, then I think it's going to be much easier to integrate biodiversity and nature at large into how we are doing our economic planning and other things. And so there's been progress being made on the continent. I think we can always ask for more that is fast.

[00:43:41] But I think it's encouraging that many countries are beginning to pay attention to that and prioritize that. In fact, in Zimbabwe, when we did this biodiversity economy assessment, part of what the Ministry of Finance asked for was a feasibility assessment for developing a framework for natural capital accounting,

[00:44:05] because for them, it's also an area where they are lagging and they want to make sure that they catch up with what other African countries are doing. If you go to Botswana, they've already done a lot of work. They prioritize water. As you know, Botswana is for the most part an arid country. So water is very critical to them.

[00:44:29] So in their natural capital accounting process, they prioritize the water as one of the accounts they wanted to work on. If you go to Uganda, they prioritized forests as one of the accounts that they wanted to focus on and work on. And I think since then they've, you know, started work on other accounts. In Rwanda, land was one of the accounts they focused on. As you know, Rwanda is a country of a thousand hills.

[00:44:58] And so land is a critical asset to them because of, you know, erosion and other things. And so the ministries of agriculture and others were particularly concerned as to, you know, the land asset, what was happening to the land asset with, you know, erosion and, you know, siltation.

[00:45:23] So there is progress that's being made on the continent in terms of natural capital accounting. And as you rightly said and asked, it's going to help in further integration and mainstreaming of nature within our economic systems. Brilliant. So with this in mind, what will the biodiversity economy in Africa look like a decade from now?

[00:45:51] Yes, absolutely. I think if we continue on the trajectory we are on and in fact, if we are able to even move at a much higher speed and, you know, at an even bigger scale in terms of other countries really coming on board and prioritizing this sector,

[00:46:14] I think in 10 years time, the biodiversity economy is going to be one of the top five sectors in a number of African countries. For us, there is a lot to that. We want conservation to be seen as a sector that contributes to Africa's economic growth. We want conservation to contribute to job creation.

[00:46:43] There are statistics flying around that, you know, in less than 5000 days, Africa is going to have the highest labor force in the world. Upwards of 600 million people are going to be looking for jobs, particularly young people. And if conservation, if biodiversity is not part of solving that puzzle in terms of job creation and economic opportunities,

[00:47:09] then we are not going to be able to achieve even what we want to achieve with just conservation and making sure that our ecosystems and wildlife continue to thrive in Africa. And so that's what's driving us to ensure that biodiversity economies has to be a key pillar in many countries that we are working in.

[00:47:36] In 10 years time, I see biodiversity economies providing opportunities for African youth to be entrepreneurial with their ideas, energy and energy and innovation. Can they come in and, you know, bring solutions, start enterprises? All these, you know, opportunities we are talking about in non-timber forest products, bioprospecting pharmaceuticals,

[00:48:02] you know, they are opportunities that are just waiting for, you know, you know, entrepreneurs to come in and look at how they can develop enterprises. I think the shortcoming we have had is that this is a sector that has been primarily driven, but also dominated by, you know, conservationists like myself who, you know, have biological, ecological background.

[00:48:32] But we need, you know, people who are also coming from other sectors, who also see things differently, who also see opportunities that are there to be developed. And so that is my hope that, you know, we are going to see enterprises, you know, develop. That will help us in our conservation goals,

[00:48:56] but also that will help us significantly in contributing to the economic future of Africa. But also I see biodiversity economies becoming a key pillar to how our countries and our continent is going to adapt to the impacts of climate change. You know, our agriculture is going to be impacted, is already being impacted heavily.

[00:49:23] You know, we are seeing crop failure in many places because of a lack of rainfall or flooding. But our natural systems will be critical in how we adapt to all that. And in terms of food provision to complement, again, as I said earlier, our food systems.

[00:49:43] I would like to see us really being proud and to see a lot of these wild products on our dinner table. I think one of the issues I have seen in a lot of our African countries is that, you know, we associate these natural products with poverty. You know, they are looked down upon.

[00:50:07] But in fact, they are, you know, some of the best foods you can have for nutritional value, for health. And so I hope in 10 years we'll get to a stage where these products are actually featuring in our supermarkets and are really part of our food basket as a whole. But also, most importantly, I hope in 10 years time we maybe this is how we can summarize all of this.

[00:50:36] You know, one thing I really like and I always look at what the African Development Bank does, for example, this annual economic outlook for every country in Africa. I would like us to get to a stage where we also have an annual biodiversity economic outlook for every country in Africa. How are we doing in that biodiversity economy?

[00:51:02] All these things that we are doing, being able to have information that's demonstrating the status of our biodiversity economy. You know, the different activities that people are doing, the revenues that are being generated, the various opportunities that entrepreneurs and investors can look at. I would like to see that happening. And it's possible because we have seen, you know, other countries beginning to do this.

[00:51:29] And South Africa, for example, is a leader in this space and has demonstrated what is possible. And so my wish is that we are able to scale that to the whole of Africa and really have a robust biodiversity economy that's sustainable from how we are harvesting and utilizing nature

[00:51:54] to also how we are moving that towards development of Africa. As people, we often have quotes, mantras, African proverbs or affirmations that keep us going when times are challenging or when times are good. Do you have one that you can share with us today? Yeah, sure. I think, you know, there are a few that, you know, come to mind.

[00:52:20] But for me, I think maybe this is also informed by, like I say, where I grew up. I grew up in a mountainous area where we used to go out herding cattle. And whenever it rained, you know, we would always hide in this, you know, shelter in caves from the rain. So one, you know, such proverb that, you know, always inspires me and, you know, sort of pushes me to take action

[00:52:48] or to encourage others to take action is one that says you can't remember the cave after the rain, you know. And for me, that's really something that we need to treasure in Africa. That in a similar way, these ecosystems, you know, we need to treasure them now. We need to conserve and protect them now because once they are gone,

[00:53:18] it's going to take a lot of resources, a lot of money to be able to provide what they are providing us for free right now. So, you know, I always love that expression and, you know, it pushes me in so many ways and also keeps me on my toes. Thanks. Fantastic. Great way to close today's conversation. Edwin, it's been an absolute pleasure having you on the podcast.

[00:53:46] Thank you for sharing your insights about bridging the gap between conservation and sustainable economic growth and also highlighting the potential of the biodiversity economies to drive development and also preserve natural environment. It's been an absolute pleasure having you on the podcast. Thank you very much, Tessa. And I really appreciate the opportunity you have given us.

[00:54:15] And I thank you as well because it's going to take people like you, the platforms that you have, you know, developed to be able to bring this, you know, understanding to the public. And really thank you so much. I hope you won't stop here in terms of exploring this conservation and biodiversity space. But really thank you very much and look forward to more episodes from you. Thank you very much.

[00:54:45] Thank you to everyone who has listened and stayed tuned to the podcast. If you've enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share or tell a friend about it. You can also rate, review us in Apple Podcasts or wherever you download your podcast. Thank you and see you next week for the Unlocking Africa podcast. Unlocking Africa podcast.