Green Farm Financing

The Open.Landscape.Network is being used in the Netherlands to connect sustainable farms and progressive financial institutions for easier communication and impact assessment based on a combination of public and private "farm scale" information.

Innovative Producers

The passion and commitment of the farmer Jaring Brunia is well-known across the Netherlands. He was recognized in the Dutch 'sustainable 100' of 2017 (Trouw), as well as profiled by many other media organizations. His story has been covered by Vice, The Guardian, RTV, NOS, and more.

Unfortunately, this recognition has not made his search for bank financing easier. For a long period, Brunia and other farmers have faced great difficulty to get financing in support of a sustainable farm.

As Brunia said in one televised interview,

Does the bank understand what I do? No.

In a context of widespread agricultural challenges in the Netherlands, this story resonated with the public and once again gained high-profile coverage in VPRO, RD, and other prominent media outlets.

Communicating Impact

As more financial institutions are becoming aware of their risks and opportunities in regards to environmental challenges, it is becoming a requirement to have access to systems to easily demonstrate compliance, an in turn access / share such information.

The BoerenWijzer of Wij.land is a useful tool to visualize and communicate where a farmer stands in the transition to more regenerative practices. While the tool was only part of the assessment, ABN Amro made a decision to invest in his farm as a result of the interaction - illustrating the impact and potential of such functionality. This has gained wide attention (BioJournal, Nieuwe Oogst), indicating readiness and excitement for a solution.

Beyond supporting day-to-day operations of Wij.land, and helping develop / scale-up new local businesses, the OLN is used by financial institutions to access data and validate leaders on ESG factors. The quality of data - and decisions - is maximized by access to a shared, high-quality digital infrastructure, that enables financial services to be linked to environmental and social impact.

By lowering costs to engage and influence sustainable farmers, the OLN helps the scale and impact of agricultural innovation to increase. The resulting opportunities are gaining attention and influence in the financial sector, leading to further support for shifting practices.

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