...we look at how Proforest is using new technology to deliver positive outcomes for people, nature and climate, along this year’s theme of “Forests and Innovation”.
Whether through innovative methodologies aimed at supporting companies to achieve deforestation- and conversion-free supplies,?calculating the GhG emissions of our landscape initiatives, or trailblazing with AI and tree recognition?we use innovation and technology in the service of keeping forests standing - delivering lasting benefits to the people and animals who depend on forests for their survival and livelihoods.
Our Sustainability Engagement Platform (SEP) is a dynamic ecosystem of digital services and tools, in which we have developed capabilities to operationalise various due diligence processes, including supply base mapping, risk identification, and prioritisation of engagement strategies and mitigation actions. Through the SEP we have collected over sixteen thousand polygons to support companies to trace products back to origin. With this data, our current AI initiatives for Proforest include:
- Intelligent Text Analysis:?Development of AI models to evaluate text input in our forms, providing suggestions, and ensuring consistency.
- Automated Crop Detection:?Using AI to analyse satellite imagery, streamlining crop identification and monitoring land-use patterns.?
- Streamlined Information Management:?Development of AI-powered tools to make information within Proforest more easily accessible, searchable, and actionable.
Proforest's Africa and Global Director was live on Metro TV speaking about the importance of forests for people, nature and climate. In this interview, Abraham calls for more smallholder farmer support with innovative approaches and technologies.
- Worker Voice Technologies?-?this paper discusses best practices?to maximise the potential of worker voice technologies and ensure they are used at the service of improving workers’ conditions and contribute to sectoral structural change.
- Verified Deforestation and Conversion-free Methodology -?This high-level framework can provide the basis for detailed methodologies for specific commodities and companies allowing for alignment, transparency and consistency, whilst?also recognising the need to adapt to different realities.
- Risk Benchmarking for the EU Deforestation Regulation: Key Principles & Recommendations -?Trase and Proforest released a comprehensive risk benchmarking framework and methodology aimed at supporting the European Union’s deforestation regulation (EUDR) system.?
- Delivering the UK Government FCDO Global Development Delivery Framework -?We’re delighted to announce that Proforest is part of a successful consortium, led by Oxford Policy Management, to deliver Lot 1, Climate Change and Nature, of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) Global Development Delivery Framework Agreement. We’re working with some great partners in the consortium, including SNV, Pegasus, IIED and M&C Saatchi, who bring a fantastic breadth and depth of knowledge to the group. ?
- Proforest's co-director for Latin America, Isabella Freire, will be speaking at a CDP event in S?o Paulo, Brazil on Tuesday 26th March: 'Landscapes in transformation: Collaboration to scale the results of Jurisdictional Approaches'.
- Join our team at Food Matters Live! Anne-Charline Gal and David D'Hollander will be talking about how to comply with the EU Deforestation Regulation in April and May.
- We will be joining the UK government's Partnerships for Forests for their closing seminar - Proforest's Abraham Baffoe and Ellen Griffiths will join P4F's team, clients, partners and?local grantees to share 8 years of the programme's innovation and learning.
And this article was published too late to make the newsletter, but is an amazing example of how Proforest Africa is using GIS and remote sensing tech in their work - written by our Senior Project Manager Ekow Nyamekye Tawiah https://www.myjoyonline.com/forest-and-innovations-harnessing-gis-and-remote-sensing-tools-to-curb-deforestation/