China’s overseas finance is becoming increasingly influential globally. Between 2004 and 2013, China’s overseas investments increased 13.7 times, from $45 billion to $613 billion.

This level of investment can provide needed sources of capital for developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. As China plays a greater role in development finance, it can also embrace the opportunity to manage environmental and social risks associated with these investments.

Many developing country governments have transferred large swathes of community land to agri-businesses, extractive industries, infrastructure developers and other investors as a way to grow their economies. These actions often come at the expense of local communities, who lose rights to the lands they’ve lived on for generations.

But development doesn’t need to come at the expense of local communities. As one community in Tanzania is showing, alternative business models can allow citizens to retain their lands and resources while also capitalizing on economic opportunities.