Value Exchange
We are increasingly motivated to take actions to mitigate climate change, but more could be done to understand how we can create wide behaviour change that provides meaningful returns. More could also be done to support farmers to invest in climate-smart agriculture who currently lack access to finance.
Value Exchange will see the development of an online platform where higher-income individuals will be able to make small direct investments in climate mitigation and biodiversity to farmers in Ghana and Benin motivated to invest in carbon sequestration and biodiversity.
Investors will receive tangible returns, such as soap, chocolate or spices, as well as narrative updates about the investments, from the farmers they support. These returns will aim to evoke an emotional response in the investor, facilitated by arts-based sensory techniques. The emotional responses of the investors will be studied using machine learning to investigate and understand how to attract further investors.
"The One King's Impact Fund is a unique opportunity to develop a collaborative project that I hope will make a significant contribution to efforts to address climate change and biodiversity loss." - Amanda Lenhardt, co-lead and Lecturer in International Development (Education).
"This project incorporates Arts Based Research (ABR) which moves beyond language to utilise the uniquely engaging, emotive and experiential impact of these creative and sensory forms of research." - Kerry Lemon, co-lead and multidisciplinary artist
Partners and Collaborators
A network of multidisciplinary partners from across and beyond King's are working together to maximise the impact of this project. Find out more about the project partners:
- King's Department for International Development
- King's School of Global Affairs
- King's Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy
- Kerry Lemon
- King's Policy Institute
- King's African Leadership Centre
- Global Shea Alliance
- Plus national and women's shea co-ops in Ghana and Benin
Impact
The proposed impact of Value Exchange includes:
- Generating new knowledge about consumer responses to narrative and sensory returns, with the aim of understanding how to encourage further investment.
- Directly supporting the sequestration of 2,600 tonnes of carbon, and producing 600 biodiversity units in Ghana in the first year.
- Unlocking significant potential earnings for people living in or near poverty in Ghana and Benin.
- Enhancing farmer’s adaptation to climate change, potentially increasing their productivity, and expanding the markets through which they can sell their outputs.
This project is supported by the One King’s Impact Fund.
The One King's Impact Fund is part of One King’s Impact, King’s strategic programme to support and accelerate work within and beyond the University which creates positive change for people, planet and society.
Value Exchange responds to the following Impact Priorities:
A thriving and sustainable planet | Advancing equality and social mobility | Technology for good
Principal Investigator
Lecturer in International Development (Education)
Affiliations
Funding
Funding Body: One King’s Impact Fund
Amount: £46,732.00
Period: August 2024 - August 2025