There is no doubt about the importance of forests for biodiversity conservation, climate and water regulation, and carbon sequestration. Next to this, forests are a source of income and living for many families. How to meet ecological and human needs regarding tropical forests then? The seminar Innovative Financing Mechanisms for Tropical Forests organised by Tropenbos International and the European Tropical Forest Research Network (ETFRN) discussed some possible meeting points. At the end of this two-days seminar, scientists and policy makers from 41 countries came up with a list of recommendations that were presented at the Global Diversity Forum (GDF) and CoP 6. Tropenbos International has published the proceedings of this seminar, which includes the speeches and recommendations derived.