Conservation experts, policymakers and investors from across Africa have gathered in Nairobi for the Business of Conservation Conference 2026, a forum aimed at finding ways to make wildlife protection financially sustainable while improving community livelihoods.
The four-day conference, running from March 4 to 7 at the Radisson Blu Hotel Nairobi Upper Hill, is organised by the African Leadership University School of Wildlife Conservation. It has brought together conservation organisations, government leaders, private sector players and community representatives to discuss how natural ecosystems can generate economic value while safeguarding biodiversity.
Held under the theme “Changing the Economics of Conservation,” the conference focuses on developing systems where conservation not only protects nature but also creates income opportunities for local communities.
Among the organisations participating is Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda (ECOTRUST), a Ugandan non-profit that has spent nearly three decades helping smallholder farmers turn conservation into a sustainable source of income. Since its establishment in 1999, the organisation has been working in key biodiversity areas such as the Albertine Rift and the Mount Elgon landscape to support farmers in restoring forests, protecting wildlife and improving their livelihoods.
Speaking during an Ignite talk at the conference, ECOTRUST Executive Director Pauline Nantongo highlighted how innovative financing models such as biodiversity credits can support conservation while also benefiting local communities.
She noted that conservation initiatives often overlook the people who live closest to natural resources.
“Most of the times when we think about these very high science and tech issues, it’s difficult to see how this can be inclusive at a local community level,” Nantongo said.
She compared the situation to someone renovating another person’s home but taking all the profits.
“Can you imagine if somebody comes into your house, paints it and improves its value, then claims the money because they painted it? That is often how monetizing conservation works,” she said.
Nantongo explained that ECOTRUST is working to change this model by ensuring communities remain owners and active participants in conservation projects.
Through biodiversity credits, a new Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) mechanism, the organisation supports communities to protect forests and natural ecosystems while earning income through sustainable businesses such as beekeeping, tree nurseries and other green enterprises. These activities also help restore forest health and create wildlife corridors.
The approach is helping to reduce human-wildlife conflict in parts of the Albertine Rift where animals such as Chimpanzee move between fragmented forests.
Working with communities, ECOTRUST has been mapping wildlife movement routes and restoring forest corridors to allow animals to move safely while reducing damage to farms.
The organisation’s flagship Trees for Global Benefits (TGB) programme has already helped restore more than 30,000 hectares of land through forestry and agroforestry on private farms, linking farmers to carbon market benefits.
According to Nantongo, the aim is to ensure that conservation funding directly improves local livelihoods. Communities monitor forests, collect ecological data and take part in decision-making, making them active players in conservation markets rather than passive beneficiaries.
As discussions continue in Nairobi, the conference is showcasing similar conservation business models from across Africa, highlighting new partnerships, financing opportunities and community-led solutions.
For ECOTRUST, the message is simple: conservation can only succeed if the communities living closest to nature share in the benefits of protecting it.
