Rice paddies across Asia emit up to 500 million tonnes of methane each year, around 20% of global manmade methane, while land use and agriculture account for nearly a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. Rice demand is expected to rise another 30% by 2050, yet climate finance has been slower to reach land and agriculture than almost any other sector. The opportunity is significant, but lasting mitigation requires investment beyond individual farms to address the wider system, or emissions and deforestation risk shifting elsewhere.
Founded by the Philanthropy Asia Alliance (PAA), the Sustainable Land Use Community (SLC) is a coalition built to close that shortfall. Golden Philanthropies, NO.17, the Rockefeller Foundation and Temasek Foundation come together through the SLC to advance locally led climate action in nature-based solutions and sustainable agriculture across Southeast Asia.
The SLC is opening its inaugural grant call for high-potential, locally led projects that treat land and food systems as one connected challenge. Proposals should target the critical gaps in nature-based solutions and sustainable agriculture in Southeast Asia, covering deforestation, agricultural emissions, food insecurity, ecosystem degradation and pressure on farming livelihoods. Shortlisted projects can receive catalytic funding from S$200,000.
Applications open on 10 September 2026. The window closes on 31 December 2026.
Eligibility
Who should apply?
The grant call welcomes applications at any stage, an early pilot or a model ready for market alike. Eligible organisations include the following.
• Civil society and non-governmental organisations
• Community-based and locally led groups
• Government agencies and public institutions
• Academic and research institutions
• International organisations and UN agencies
• Mission-aligned for-profit organisations, including impact enterprises
The proposed initiative must be implemented in Southeast Asia.
What are we looking for?
Applications should demonstrate clear additionality, complementing existing efforts within the target ecosystem or value chain, and meet appropriate environmental and social safeguards, including compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The strongest proposals name what a landscape or supply chain still needs to move forward, and who on the ground is positioned to carry it there.
Each project should fall under one of two thematic areas.
• Nature-based Solutions
We are looking for projects that support locally led initiatives that protect, restore, and sustainably manage Forests, Peatlands and Mangroves in Southeast Asia to deliver climate mitigation and adaption, biodiversity conservation, and community resilience outcomes.
• Sustainable Agriculture
We are seeking initiatives that support locally led initiatives in Southeast Asia that accelerate the transition to sustainable and regenerative agricultural systems for Rice, Palm Oil, Cocoa, Horticultural crops and Livestock, that seek to increase yield, build healthy soil, improve smallholder farmer livelihoods, and deliver climate resilience, food security, and environmental outcomes.
FAQs
What stage should my project be at?
We welcome projects of the following stages:
Seed-stage and pilot initiatives will receive flexible, catalytic capital to work through technical, regulatory, institutional, or market barriers and build a pathway to scale.
Later-stage or market-ready solutions must show strong complementarity with existing SLC initiatives and/or existing ecosystem level initiatives, and use funding for system interventions, resolve implementation bottlenecks and address broader system obstacles. This grant call does not fund standard follow-on capital to simply expand already-proven models.
How will projects be assessed?
Projects will be reviewed by and shortlisted by our SLC Committee members and will be judged according to the following criteria:
• Innovativeness and Novelty: Applicants should propose an initiative that introduces a novel, differentiated, or significantly improved approach.
• Systems approach: The project should propose a systems approach among actors, institutions, markets, and communities rather than isolated activities.
• Impact potential with Demonstrated Viability, Sustainability and Scalability: The project must show a credible, viable pathway to meaningful and lasting ecological, climate, livelihood and systems-level impact, one that can sustain and scale beyond the grant period.
• Local Leadership and Collaboration: The proposed initiative should involve strong collaboration with local actors and leadership.
• Feasibility: The project must demonstrate clear readiness for implementation.
• Learnings, Evidence and Safeguards: The project should be able to establish clear, evidence-based outcomes.
When will I know if I'm selected?
Shortlisted applicants will be notified by February 2027.
.tmb-.gif?Culture=en&sfvrsn=e13997ec_1)
.tmb-.gif?Culture=en&sfvrsn=b5ece239_1)
.tmb-.gif?Culture=en&sfvrsn=6fb3b6df_1)
.tmb-.png?Culture=en&sfvrsn=7fea9931_1)
.tmb-.gif?Culture=en&sfvrsn=3f4b1163_1)
.tmb-.jpg?Culture=en&sfvrsn=fedc60fc_1)
