TechnoServe Sustainability Leader Applauds U.N. Ocean Conference, Urges Focus on Regenerative Economic Opportunity
The nonprofit’s regenerative business director emphasized the importance of sustainable coastal livelihoods for boosting conservation and tackling plastic pollution
ARLINGTON, VA (June 18, 2025) – Tony Siantonas, global regenerative business director for nonprofit TechnoServe, issued the following statement after the conclusion of the United Nations Ocean Conference:
“The agreements and commitments secured in Nice are an encouraging sign of progress in the vital effort to protect the world’s oceans. In particular, the approximately $10 billion of philanthropic support and investments pledged to conserve marine ecosystems and tackle plastic waste will provide communities, governments, the private sector, and civil society with urgently needed financial resources to protect our oceans.
“As we work to turn the vision of the U.N. Ocean Conference into reality, it’s clear that creating regenerative livelihoods for coastal communities must be a priority. At TechnoServe, we believe environmental sustainability is impossible without financial sustainability. For the more than one billion people who live within ten kilometers of an ocean, that means nurturing businesses and value chains that thrive even as they help to steward marine resources.
“We support local communities taking the lead in this effort. In coastal Kenya, young people are helping to grow small, conservation-oriented businesses in sectors like ecotourism. In southern Nigeria, a competitive, formal recycling sector is keeping plastic out of the ocean while creating quality jobs and economic opportunity.
“Through investment and partnership, we can scale these solutions and ensure that every coastal community has the opportunity to sustainably prosper.”
##
About TechnoServe
Founded in 1968, TechnoServe is a leader in harnessing the power of the private sector to help people lift themselves out of poverty for good. A non-profit organization working in around 35 countries, we work with people to build a better future through regenerative farms, businesses, and markets that increase incomes. Our vision is a sustainable world where all people in low-income communities have the opportunity to prosper.
More information at: Twitter @TechnoServe | Facebook @TechnoServe | LinkedIn @TechnoServe
