Evaluation of the ECOPRONAT Research Programme to Foster the Development of a Nature-Positive Economy (CZZ2687)

From 2019 to 2025, AFD led the ECOPRONAT (PRO-NATure Economy) research programme. The programme’s overarching objective was to foster the transition towards a nature-positive economy by generating and applying research-based evidence. Specifically, it aimed to:
- develop knowledge and methodologies to better integrate biodiversity considerations into projects implemented by public sector stakeholders and by AFD’s operational teams across a range of sectors, including agriculture, spatial planning, and sustainable cities;
- strengthen the capacities of researchers in the Global South, as well as students and early-career researchers.

The implementation of the ECOPRONAT programme sought to advance AFD’s strategic objectives by producing high-quality research in AFD partner countries, in collaboration with local research teams, on the theme of a nature-positive economy. The programme also aimed to strengthen local research capacity and promote the uptake of research findings in the public policies of partner countries and in AFD’s own operations.