The network of African Environmental Funds (CAFE) met from September 2 to 6, 2019 in Ouidah city, Benin for its Annual Assembly on the theme of Financial Markets and Portfolio Management for Environmental Funds.

This event is held on a rotating basis among CAFE member countries and in this year, it was held in Ouidah city in Benin, with support and coordination from the West African Environmental Fund (FSOA).

The event was attended by 40 participants including members of CAFÉ, RedLAC – Network of Caribbean and Latin American Environmental Funds, members of the government, bilateral agencies, civil society, media and special speakers to exhibit and discuss markets and financial management of environmental funds, particularly for African funds.

The CAFÉ Assembly them was dedicated to financial market analysis and asset management, environmental fund investment policies, types of funds and their application in the market, investment return, risk management, technical assistance and knowledge regarding the subject.

Also, at this event, a team from the Conservation Financial Alliance presented the 10-year review of implementation of standards and practices of Environmental Funds (CTFs) a process that includes an overview of the implementation progress throughout the years, the future challenges considering the variety of emerging thematic areas.

A field trip complemented the Assembly event through the tourism experience on Lake Ganvié, the most visited touristic site in West Africa, proposed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. This lake is composed of an extensive set of word houses, able to resist to water and climate hazards for several decades, an area of high historical value and with a growing and isolated population predominantly engaged in fishing activity, as artisanal fishing concessions.

The participation of BIOFUND in this event represented an opportunity to learn and exchange experiences on the various areas of intervention of environmental funds. BIOFUND took this opportunity to present its progress in the Biodiversity Offsets Program, particularly on the experience exchange practices that have been taking place under the network as well as the recently propose for the creation of a Biodiversity Offsets Working Group under the CAFÉ Network.

In this event, BIOFUND formally announced the hosting of the 10^th General Assembly of CAFÉ, in September 2020 in Mozambique.

For more information visit the page: https://www.cafeconsortium.org/