About AgoraNatura
AgoraNatura is Germany's first online marketplace for certified nature conservation projects. Since October 2020, AgoraNatura has enabled anyone who manages land and wants to implement a nature conservation project to finance it via crowdfunding or through partnerships with companies. Private investors and companies can specifically promote biodiversity and nature services through the purchase of nature conservation certificates. In order to ensure the ecological impact of the projects, each project is externally audited by the Natureplus-Standard certified.
AgoraNatura emerged from a research and development project with partners from nature conservation and agriculture. Since July 2021, the marketplace has been run as a project of the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) e.V. managed. The spin-off as an independent organisation is planned for 2022.
The concept
AgoraNatura is an independent mediation platform. Here, projects of different environmental organisations and actors from all over Germany present themselves. They state their nature conservation goals, the necessary measures and describe the positive effects on biodiversity and nature services expected as a result. These expectations are illustrated in the flower. The providers themselves also determine the appropriate price for their project. A review process according to the Natureplus-Standard ensures that the measures described are target-oriented and meet scientifically sound quality criteria.
Investors support the certified projects by purchasing nature conservation certificates. One certificate stands for 100 m2 area and a project duration of one year. A project can only be implemented if all its certificates are purchased. Otherwise, the money is automatically returned to those who have already invested. The providers themselves determine how long a project can be financed, but for a maximum of 6 months.
Team
Scientists from various disciplines from the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) e. V. and the University of Greifswald and active nature conservationists of the German Environmental Aid (DUH) e.V. and of the German Association for Landscape Conservation (DVL) e.V. developed the online marketplace together, accompanied by other external experts. Also involved were:
Carolin Biedermann
Marlen Krause
Prof. Dr Bettina Matzdorf
Holger Pepper
Michaela Reutter
Achim Schäfer
Steffen Holzmann
Sabrina Schulz
Anne Siegert
Ulrich Stöcker
Bernd Blümlein
Marlene Bock
Jan Noack
AgoraNatura was developed within the framework of a publicly funded project (2015-2021). Through the funding, many costs, for example for the certification of the projects, are covered and do not yet have to be borne by the users of the marketplace (further details can be found in the Frequently asked questions). Functionalities and page content are constantly being developed. Your feedback is therefore very welcome.
The project was funded by the BMBF and BMU/BfN.
Since June 2021, AgoraNatura has been supported by the ZALF and about the project FABulous Farmers funded by Interreg North-West Europe.
The team currently includes Martin Borchert, Prof. Dr Bettina Matzdorf, Margarethe Reichenspurner and Holger Pfeffer. The spin-off of AgoraNatura as an independent organisation is planned for 2023.
