The last decade has seen a powerful upsurge in efforts and billions of dollars in investment in environmental markets, including the global carbon trade.  But the promise that many in the conservation and rural development communities see for recognizing additional value for farmers, communities and small enterprises has by and large failed. In 2007 the Katoomba Ecosystem Services Incubator was launched to address the supply side of the current disconnect in ecosystem service markets, with early emphasis on carbon markets. By providing targeted technical, financial, business management and legal support to promising small-scale community-based projects with potential for long-term financial viability, the Incubator contributes to developing model transactions in the nascent ecosystem services markets benefiting low-income rural people and imperiled biodiversity.

 
Michael Jenkins
President, Forest Trends
Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
mjenkins@forest-trends.org
 
Jacob Olander
Director EcoDecisión - Quito, Ecuador
and Manager Katoomba Ecosystem Services Incubator
jolander@interactive.net