From Forest Protection to Proof: Lessons in Tropical Conservation Finance
About This Session
Join the Nature Tech Collective for a Nature Tech in Action conversation with technologist Gunthar Hartwig, exploring how emerging technologies, innovative finance, and cross-continental collaboration can help protect standing tropical forests, while rewarding the people who safeguard them.
This session will spotlight the Standing Forest Token (SFT), an initiative of the Biodiversity Finance Alliance (Biofia). This project aims to connect custodians of the world’s remaining tropical forests across the Americas, Africa, and Asia with investors seeking to promote conservation, while also seeing a financial return. Gunthar will be joined by David Ontaneda, strategic Director of Fundación Maquipucuna, founder of Biofia and author of the SFT whitepaper, who will contribute strategic and philosophical insights throughout the discussion.
The initiative endeavors to protect the remaining one billion hectares of standing tropical forest through transparent monitoring, digital infrastructure, and market-based incentives. The SFT system combines advanced remote sensing and on-the-ground monitoring with a blockchain-based asset available on a global exchange—creating a new mechanism to value forest protection without relying on traditional extractive or offset-driven models.
The project is currently transitioning from definition and validation into an active development and fundraising phase. In this session, we’ll share an overview of the initiative, its current status, and key next steps—while actively inviting feedback and seeking collaborators, and partners to help shape its future.
Key Topics We’ll Cover
Why Standing Forests Matter
Understand the climate, biodiversity, and social value of protecting intact tropical forests—and why prevention of deforestation is often more impactful than restoration after loss.
The Standing Forest Token Model
Learn how SFT is designed to reward forest custodians through a blockchain-based asset tied to verified forest protection, aligning conservation outcomes with financial incentives.
Monitoring, Verification & Trust
Explore how SFT leverages satellite data, remote sensing, and on-site validation to ensure transparency, credibility, and accountability across forest protection efforts.
From Concept to Deployment
Get an inside look at where the project stands today—what’s been validated, what’s under development, and what’s needed to move into full-scale implementation and fundraising.
Technology, Markets & Conservation Finance
Examine how new marketplace dynamics and digital infrastructure can unlock capital for conservation while avoiding common pitfalls of greenwashing and misaligned incentives.
Collaboration Opportunities
Hear where SFT is actively seeking technical partners, ecosystem collaborators, investors, and implementers—and how participants can get involved.
Who Should Attend
Nature tech companies working in remote sensing, monitoring, blockchain, or data infrastructure
Conservation finance practitioners and project developers
NGOs and nonprofits focused on forest protection and biodiversity
Investors exploring credible, nature-positive financial instruments
Web3, climate finance, and impact investing professionals
Government, Indigenous, and community forest stewardship stakeholders
Part of the “Nature in Action” Series
This session is part of NTC’s Nature in Action series, spotlighting how nature-based solutions are designed and implemented in the real world - from technology and monitoring to finance, governance, and long-term stewardship.
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