• Safe production of contaminants is an absolute necessity for industry and businesses to thrive. Companies must take the necessary steps to ensure that safety protocols are followed, and potential risks are minimized.
• It is essential that companies understand the potential environmental impacts of their actions, so that they can take the necessary steps to reduce the amount of contaminants produced and limit the impact of their production on the environment.
• Proper sanitary safety measures must be taken at all stages of harvesting, collection, storage, and transportation. This includes packaging, temperature control, labeling, protective gear, and hygiene practices such as hand-washing.
• Regularly inspect goods for signs of contamination and take corrective actions if found. Doing so will ensure products are safe and healthy for consumers, and all involved are assured their efforts are worthwhile.

• Biological risks are an ever-present danger in our environment, and can come in many forms, including bacteria, yeasts, fungi, parasites, and viruses. These organisms can cause serious illnesses and infections, and can spread rapidly if not properly managed. It is important to be aware of the potential risks and to take steps to protect ourselves and our environment from these dangerous elements.

• Chemical risks include naturally occurring weeds, fungal toxins, and alkaloids, as well as human-made substances, such as pesticides, antibiotic fertilizers, and industrial chemicals. All of these can be hazardous to human health and the environment, and should be handled with caution.

This model proposes to dispossess citizens of their lands, bringing misery with it. Sugar cane production relies on subsidies provided by society and the environment, which must be accounted for.

Negative Impacts

1. The cultivation of sugar cane involves excessive use of toxic materials, destroying all biodiversity, soils, poisoning water, deteriorating the atmosphere, and harming the health of ecosystems and the populations that support and surround it.
2. Intensive sugar cane farming, like livestock farming, focuses on land grabbing and the consequent displacement of communities.
3. Burning sugar cane is a common practice throughout plantations, resulting in devastating consequences for the environment, people's health, tourism, and the landscape.
4. It generates greenhouse gases, contributing to global warming.
5. It's imminent that sugar cane brings the presence of Haitian nationals, creating new settlements (Bateyes) without any regulation or conditions.

In Kokonut, we will implement various regenerative agriculture techniques, and for this, we will consider the five principles defined by Gabe Brown

1. Elimination of mechanical, chemical, and physical field treatments. This regenerative agriculture principle is associated with pre-industrial farming techniques.
2. Year-round use of cover crops to prevent bare soils and mitigate erosion. Additionally, this regenerative agriculture method provides forage and grazing material for poultry and livestock.
3. Enhancement of biodiversity (e.g., through crop rotation, agroforestry, and silvo-pastoral techniques).
4. Incorporation of livestock into agricultural production.
5. Conservation of living roots from perennial crops. These principles aim to ensure a cycle of regenerative agriculture season after season, year after year.

However, they are not universal, and their combinations and applications depend on the specific characteristics of each particular farm.

Cover Crops: These are crops planted with the aim of increasing soil fertility, water retention capacity, enhancing biodiversity, and reducing the potential for pests in the main crop.

No-Till Farming: No-till farming minimizes soil disturbance, reducing soil erosion and carbon dioxide emissions. In this approach, planting is done using specialized drills.

Animal Integration in Agricultural Production: This combination promotes soil fertility, assists in weed and pest management by introducing biological enemies to unwanted species, and benefits the livestock itself, bringing regenerative agriculture closer to wildlife conditions.

Perennial Crops: Perennial crops in regenerative agriculture protect the soil from water and wind erosion by anchoring it with strong roots. They retain moisture, reduce agricultural costs by decreasing plowing and weed control operations.

Compost and Compost Tea: Organic compost provides organic matter and restores soil fertility, a key goal in regenerative organic farming. The optimal concentration of organic matter in the topsoil ranges from 3% to 5% and should be incorporated into the soil profile to a depth of at least six inches. Compost tea is a liquid preparation (hence the name) that introduces vital microorganisms and soluble nutrients essential for plant growth.

Kokonut Network is committed to a sustainable future, driven by the following key reasons:

1. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction: Greenhouse gases are a major driver of global warming, and the current industrial food production releases approximately 26% of these emissions.

2. Combating Climate Change: Merely reducing greenhouse gas emissions is not enough to mitigate climate change. However, it can work effectively in conjunction with soil carbon sequestration through the implementation of regenerative farm management.

3. Increased Yields: Regenerative agriculture strongly promotes organic farming. Organic farms are less susceptible to extreme weather conditions and produce more crops under unfavorable weather conditions than traditional agricultural businesses.

4. Drought Resilience: Organic matter retains soil moisture and enhances water retention and infiltration. Building soil organic matter is a central technique in regenerative agriculture.

5. Support for Local Economies: Local regenerative agriculture contributes to the development of sustainable local economies.

6. Biodiversity Conservation: Versatile species benefit not only the agricultural business but also environmental sustainability, which is ultimately essential in regenerative agriculture.

7. Enhanced Nutritional Value: The diversity of cultivated crops ensures a more balanced nutrition.

Preserving the vitality of the land is Kokonut Network top priority, and regenerative agriculture is the primary goal in today's context.

Recently, agriculture has been significantly impacted by climate change, and regenerative practices are fighting to reverse it. Farmers worldwide are suffering immense losses due to floods and droughts, high temperatures and severe frosts, wildfires, tornadoes, storms, and hurricanes. Natural disasters pose a serious threat to agribusiness and necessitate adaptation strategies.

Abnormal heat in some regions of the world has forced farmers to abandon their lands as vegetation cannot withstand intense sunlight and droughts. Moreover, severe droughts cause intensive evaporation, which, in turn, leads to heavy rainfall or even harsher droughts.

Compared to historical weather data, climate patterns are changing, with precipitation being somewhat lower than average in some regions, while excessively high in others, leading to floods. Plants cannot cope with droughts or floods and perish. Other negative consequences of extreme downpours include erosion and water pollution because the land cannot absorb large amounts of water in short periods.

Regenerative agriculture addresses droughts through organic matter, known for its water retention capacity and soil fertility enhancement. No-till farming contributes to carbon sequestration.

What is EBF?

The Ecological Benefits Framework (EBF) is a new paradigm. It provides a foundational architecture to radically transform global carbon and ecological benefits markets both by increasing transparency, trust, quality, and equity and by accelerating the coordinated delivery of positive financial and environmental impacts.

By developing a shared framework, EBF can create alignment across public and private sectors to support the rapid deployment of strategic capital for activities that create measurable, life-affirming ecological impacts. The unprecedented coordination of financial markets, UN agencies, NGOs, companies, and philanthropic interests will bring attention to—and help create—a shared pathway for accelerated solutions.

Why do we need a common framework for ecological benefits?

We need to move out of the Age of Extraction and enter the Age of Regeneration. Over the past 12,000 years, human history has borne witness to the unyielding pursuit of resources through extractive, one-way practices. The repercussions of this Age of Extraction are everywhere: biodiversity collapse, species loss, water scarcity, barren topsoils, unbreathable air, climate change, and the threat of worsening living conditions for hundreds of millions of humans.

Is EBF a data standard or a certification?

Neither. It is a set of definitions and agreements. Taken together, they form a playbook. Bluetooth is a technology standard. It’s a wireless communication protocol (or digital handshake) that allows any Bluetooth-enabled device (e.g., a cell phone) to communicate to similarly enabled devices (e.g., refrigerators, headphones, televisions, light bulbs, etc.) regardless of manufacturer, brand, or model.

Is this framework for ecological benefits designed to replace carbon markets?

No, it is an expansion.

The compliance and voluntary carbon markets serve valuable roles by helping interested parties reach their stated objectives related to sustainability – from ESG, to compliance, to business and financial goals – while also contributing to the fight against climate change. However, when considered holistically, carbon is part of larger natural systems that include air, water, soil, biodiversity, and equity.

Can the operational efficiency and scale of carbon markets improve by incorporating a shared framework for ecological benefits?

Projects and claims placed on carbon markets are rewarded for activities that reduce, eliminate, or avoid the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. But GHG emission reductions are not the only benefit happening. Air quality may also improve. Biodiversity may increase. The quality of life in impacted communities may improve for people living in impacted communities.

Learn more about EBF Framework at their website.