International Savanna Fire Management Initiative

What International Savanna Fire Management Initiative does

The International Savanna Fire Management Initiative (ISFMI) is an Australian charity founded in 2015 (independently incorporated after an initial phase hosted within the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability) that works with Indigenous Peoples, governments, academia, and conservation organizations to revitalize traditional fire management practices globally. Its core proposition is to combine millennia-old Indigenous burning knowledge with modern Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems under a proprietary Emissions Reduction Traditional Fire Management (TFM) methodology, augmented by a Core Benefits Verification Framework (CBVF) that captures community-level outcomes beyond carbon. The organization originated from an assessment of whether Australia's regulated savanna-burning model could be replicated in other fire-prone biomes, and it now operates across Africa (Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, Angola, Namibia), the Americas (Belize, Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil) and Asia-Pacific (Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste). It holds UNFCCC observer status and in November 2025 secured concept approval for an Article 6.4 methodology, with Verra concurrently initiating expert review of the approach.

ISFMI's service portfolio spans capacity building (DFAT Australia Awards Fellowships hosting international fellows in Australia), country-level feasibility studies and pilot projects (Belize, Guatemala, Southern Africa readiness projects funded by the Green Climate Fund), research collaborations with Charles Darwin University's Darwin Centre for Bushfires Research, and an international community of practice. Its distribution model is direct and field-based: rather than selling software or services commercially, ISFMI co-designs programs with Indigenous ranger groups, partner NGOs such as BIOMASA A.C., Indigenous-led bodies including the Indigenous Carbon Industry Network (ICIN) and the Aboriginal Carbon Foundation, and government counterparts. Funding comes primarily from grants and donations sourced from the Australian Government (DFAT), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), supplemented by innovation prizes such as the 2026 Conservation X Labs Fire Grand Challenge.

The economic model blends grant-funded program delivery with downstream carbon-market participation enabled by the TFM methodology. By providing Indigenous communities with the science and tools to measure and verify emissions reductions, ISFMI enables those communities to generate carbon credits and earn income from sustainable land management, while ISFMI itself is funded by donor grants rather than transactional fees. Headcount is in the 11-50 range and the organization is governed by an Advisory Committee that includes Indigenous representatives and fire-management, carbon-markets, and conservation experts; there are no equity holders given its charitable structure. The Australian ecosystem it helped institutionalize is materially scaled: over 75 savanna burning projects across northern Australia have produced nearly 10 million mitigation tonnes of verified emissions reductions since 2012, with savanna burning reducing methane and nitrous oxide emissions by 30-50% relative to uncontrolled late-season wildfires and generating more than $90 million AUD annually for Indigenous landowners, though this benefit flow is distinct from ISFMI's own operating budget.

Name

International Savanna Fire Management Initiative

Legal name

International Savanna Fire Management Initiative

Website

https://isfmi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The International Savanna Fire Management Initiative is an Australian charity that pairs Indigenous fire knowledge with scientific Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems under a proprietary Traditional Fire Management methodology, working with Indigenous communities, governments, and NGOs across Africa, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific to enable emissions reductions and carbon-market participation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (115310), Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Fire Protection (922160)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAMAAAF

Wildfire Fuel Reduction & Prescribed Burning

Agriculture & Food Production/Forestry & Logging/Forest Management & Silviculture

SECONDARYIMAMAAAH

Forest Fire Management & Fuels Reduction Services

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Paper & Forest Products/Forestry & Logging

SECONDARYAFAMAEAK

Integrated Forest Health & Fire Management Planning

Agriculture & Food Production/Forestry & Logging/Forest Health, Pest & Fire Management Services

SECONDARYIMAMAJAM

Community Forestry & Indigenous Land Stewardship Services

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Paper & Forest Products/Forest Management, Reforestation & Carbon Forestry Services

SECONDARYIMAMAJAG

Wildfire Risk Assessment, Prevention & Suppression Services

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Paper & Forest Products/Forest Management, Reforestation & Carbon Forestry Services

SECONDARYBPAGABAK

Climate Resilience & Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/International Development & Poverty Alleviation

Keywords

• Savanna fire management
• Indigenous fire knowledge
• Emissions reduction methodology
• Carbon market verification
• Climate adaptation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Donations: ISFMI relies on grants and donations to support its work. Grant makers are invited to reach out to learn more about the work. The organization works with funding partners including the Australian Government (DFAT), Green Climate Fund, and Global Environment Facility (GEF) to finance indigenous fire management projects globally.
2. Carbon Market Participation: By providing science and tools to Indigenous communities to measure and verify emissions reductions and environmental benefits, communities are able to participate in carbon markets to support their fire management activities and generate income.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ISFMI revitalizes Indigenous fire management knowledge globally by combining traditional burning practices with scientific Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems. The organization delivers the Emissions Reduction Traditional Fire Management (TFM) methodology, conducts feasibility studies, builds community capacity, and enables Indigenous communities and partner governments to generate verified emissions reductions and participate in carbon markets.

Product overview

The International Savanna Fire Management Initiative (ISFMI) is an Australian charity focused on revitalizing Indigenous fire knowledge globally through its Emissions Reduction Traditional Fire Management (TFM) methodology. The organization combines traditional fire management practices with innovative scientific methodologies and verification systems that enable Indigenous communities to generate measurable emissions reductions and participate in carbon markets. ISFMI's portfolio includes capacity building programs (such as the DFAT Australia Awards Fellowship), feasibility assessments for pilot projects across Belize, Guatemala, and Southern Africa, published research and workshop reports, and facilitation of the ISFMI Network - an international community of practice for knowledge sharing between regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emissions Reduction Traditional Fire Management (TFM) Methodology Combines Indigenous fire knowledge with scientific monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) systems to enable communities to generate verified emissions reductions and participate in carbon markets.
• DFAT Australia Awards Fellowship Program International training program hosting fellows from Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zambia for academic and practical training on community-led emissions reduction savanna fire management.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces methane and nitrous oxide emissions by 30-50%
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Charles Darwin University / Darwin Centre for Bushfires Research (DCBR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership hosting workshops and collaborative research. From Feb 23-25, 2023, ISFMI with DCBR hosted a partners workshop at Charles Darwin University in Darwin, Australia to discuss Traditional Fire Management priorities, emerging trends, and implementation best practices.
• Indigenous Carbon Industry Network (ICIN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICIN is an Indigenous-led organization representing key elements of the savanna fire management space. ISFMI collaborates closely with ICIN on the annual North Australia Savanna Fire Forum and various initiatives.
• Government of BotswanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISFMI has been working with Botswana since 2018 on pilot projects for traditional fire management. An MOU of cooperation was signed in August 2019 between ISFMI and the Government of Botswana.
• Australian Indigenous Ranger GroupscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Indigenous ranger groups including Jawoyn Rangers, Djelk Rangers, Karajarri IPA Rangers for training and knowledge sharing. 30% of Indigenous rangers supported by Australia's Working on Country program are women.
• BIOMASA A.C. (Mexico)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner community in Villaflores, Chiapas, Mexico for the Conservation X Labs Fire Grand Challenge project 'Expanding Emissions Reduction Traditional Fire Management to Mexico's Diverse Fire Adapted Ecosystems'.
• Tropenbos InternationalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on wildfire prevention in tropical forests. ISFMI signed joint statement of support for the Call to Action on Integrated Fire Management and Wildfire Resilience at COP30 in Belém.
• Commonwealth SecretariatmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance to establish the Wildfire-Resilient Landscapes Network, launched at COP28 with King Charles III in attendance.
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerISFMI and FAO explored the potential of Emissions Reductions Traditional Fire Management in Angola.
• FIRE-RESmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership within the Wildfire-Resilient Landscapes Network under the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance to bring together Indigenous and scientific knowledge on fire management.
• Aboriginal Carbon FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Core Benefits Verification Framework (CBVF) and Indigenous carbon industry development in Australia.
• The Nature ConservancymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the North Australia Savanna Fire Forum and collaborator on savanna fire management initiatives.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Indigenous Carbon Industry Network (ICIN): Indigenous-led organization representing key elements of the Australian savanna fire management space. ICIN co-organizes the North Australia Savanna Fire Forum with ISFMI and collaborates on Indigenous carbon industry initiatives, operating in the exact same product and customer niche.
• Aboriginal Carbon Foundation: Australian Aboriginal-led organization developing the Aboriginal carbon industry and co-developing ISFMI's Core Benefits Verification Framework. Directly comparable in mission, customer base (Indigenous communities), and focus on carbon market participation.
• Tropenbos International: Dutch-based NGO focused on tropical forest management and wildfire prevention. Partnered with ISFMI on the Call to Action on Integrated Fire Management at COP30, with overlapping methodology and capacity-building roles in tropical fire-adapted ecosystems.
• Charles Darwin University – Darwin Centre for Bushfires Research (DCBR): Long-standing research partner of ISFMI hosting workshops and collaborative research on savanna fire management. Comparable in its scientific MRV focus and Australian Indigenous fire management subject matter.
• FIRE-RES: European integrated fire management initiative and partner within the Wildfire-Resilient Landscapes Network. Comparable in bringing together Indigenous/scientific knowledge on fire management, though focused primarily on European landscapes.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: Global conservation NGO that sponsors the North Australia Savanna Fire Forum and collaborates on savanna fire management initiatives. Operates broadly across conservation, fire, and climate themes with overlapping program areas but a much wider portfolio.
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): UN agency that has partnered with ISFMI to explore Emissions Reduction Traditional Fire Management in Angola. Operates a much broader mandate on forestry, food, and agriculture but overlaps directly in fire management methodology work.
• Conservation International: Global environmental NGO working across fire management, carbon markets, and Indigenous-led conservation. Comparable in mission but operates at much larger scale and broader geographic scope than ISFMI.

Regional players

• Bush Heritage Australia: Australian conservation organization that manages large reserves and integrates cultural burning practices with ecological management. Comparable in Australian Indigenous-led fire management approach but primarily a land-management operator rather than methodology developer.

Others

• United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability: Initial host institution for ISFMI from its 2015 launch through Australian Government funding. Provides the institutional and academic backbone for sustainability research that originally incubated ISFMI's work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Savanna Fire Management Initiative