Clarmondial and Supernova collaborate to enhance nature-based investment opportunities in Indonesia
In a strategic move, Swiss impact advisory firm Clarmondial and Indonesia's Supernova Equatora Capital have joined forces to invest in nature-based solution companies within the value chains of globally traded commodities in Indonesia. The partnership, which has attracted "significant interest" from regional family offices, corporates, and impact investors, targets sectors such as cacao, coffee, spices, palm oil derivatives, arenga sugar, and other food and cash crops.
According to Havemann, the partnership's goal is to demonstrate that international capital can be brought into Indonesia and deals can be made with best-in-class investment and governance processes. Supernova Equatora Capital, part of the Supernova Ecosystem committed to advancing impact investment in Indonesia, brings local presence to the collaboration, while Clarmondial contributes its international network.
The partnership aims to unlock scalable private capital for businesses that contribute to sustainable agriculture, agroforestry, and ecosystem restoration. It will provide catalytic support to local businesses that connect smallholder farmers to markets, with the hope of investing in bigger transactions that can boost climate resilience and improve supply chain traceability.
The partnership will start with smaller, repeatable transactions to build a track record and attract more funding over time. Follow-on financing for the partnership is expected to come from Clarmondial's Food Securities Fund and the forthcoming Biosphere Integrity Fund, backed by the Swiss-based Good Energies Foundation.
Inez Stefanie, managing partner at Supernova Equatora Capital, stated that the partnership is about unlocking the potential of Indonesian businesses to drive nature-positive transformation with the right kind of support. People should not be scared or worried about investing in Indonesia as long as they work with the right partners in a prudent way, according to Havemann.
Organizations involved in providing guidance for scalable private capital in sustainable agriculture, agroforestry, and ecosystem restoration in Indonesian trade of globally traded commodities include local cooperatives and development partners like the Hanns Neumann Foundation (active in coffee supply chain projects), as well as international NGOs and foundations supporting environmental protection and community participation, such as those engaged in Indonesian environmental and agricultural projects. Key actors working in related areas are local farmer cooperatives, environmental NGOs, and foundations like Brot für die Welt, Stiftung Mercator, and the Hanns Neumann Foundation, which collaborate on projects including sustainable sourcing and social criteria compliance in coffee farming.
The partnership's success is expected to continue attracting resources and attention due to Indonesia's importance as a biodiversity hotspot. The collaboration is poised to make a significant impact on the sustainable development of Indonesia's agriculture sector, promoting nature-based solutions and fostering a more resilient and traceable supply chain for globally traded commodities.
