Radolfzell, 05/19/2022: Not only on the International Day of Biological Diversity, which is coming up to us next Sunday, this number is fatal and frightening: according to the 2019 report of the World Biodiversity Council, about one million species are threatened with extinction worldwide. According to a study by NABU and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the value of ecosystem service losses is estimated at over six trillion dollars per year. This exceeds the gross domestic product of all countries except the USA and China. The trend is also negative in Germany. Along with climate change, the loss of biodiversity is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century - a challenge that Food for Biodiversity, coordinated by the Global Nature Fund (GNF), wants to meet decisively. Its goal: the concrete implementation of measures that measurably improve the protection of biodiversity.
A broad alliance for biodiversity The current 25 companies, associations and standard organizations, as well as environmental organizations and a research institute, have agreed on a work plan to help stop the loss of species and habitats. All companies organized in the association undertake to support biodiversity-promoting measures. This includes, above all, compliance with biodiversity protection criteria in the production of agricultural raw materials in all supply chains. The work plan also includes the creation of incentives for agriculture, the fair assumption of costs for conservation measures and the further training of farmers and managers of food companies. All members benefit from the expertise and lively exchange, because the industry must tackle this major challenge together.
Promising use of the basic set for biodiversity An essential part of Food for Biodiversity's work is the
Basic Set of Biodiversity Criteria: This is not a new standard, but an offer to other food standards and companies developed by representatives of food companies, standards, agriculture, scientific institutions and environmental organizations within the framework of the association: They should compare their specifications with the basic set and - if necessary - revise them in order to integrate further important criteria and measures for the protection of biological diversity. The implementation of the basic set creates, for example, the basis for the creation and maintenance of near-natural habitats such as biotope corridors and riparian strips. Some of the project partners are already successfully implementing the basic set of biodiversity criteria in pilot projects:
- Kaufland finances beneficial insect strips with specially designed seeds on about 26 hectares of potato acreage. Recently, the measure has been accompanied by monthly monitoring of target species such as wild bees and hoverflies to determine its effectiveness.
- Food for Biodiversity member Zentis sources peaches and apricots from larger farms with a total of about 270 hectares of cultivated land in the Murcia region of southern Spain. Here, farm inspections have already taken place together with experts from the partner organization Fundación Global Nature in order to evaluate the potential for implementing biodiversity-promoting measures.
- In the Lake Constance region, around 150 fruit farms are involved in promoting biodiversity and especially wild bees every year. With expert support from the Lake Constance Foundation and the fruit-growing advisory service, as well as financial support from REWE Group, annual and perennial flowering areas are planted, nesting aids and habitats for wild bees are provided and numerous other nature conservation measures are implemented.
Learn more about the work of Food for Biodiversity
Food for Biodiversity & Unternehmen Biologische Vielfalt - UBi The GNF is developing the basic set with its partners within the framework of the project
Unternehmen Biologische Vielfalt - UBi, which is supported by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation with funds from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection through the Federal Program for Biodiversity. The Unternehmen Biologische Vielfalt project aims to raise awareness of the issue of biodiversity among business and industry associations and, through this channel, also motivate companies to give the issue high priority. One focus is on dialog between business, politics and nature conservation. The protection of biodiversity is to become an integral part of corporate management. In this way, negative effects of business activities on biodiversity can be reduced and positive ones strengthened. The measures, initiatives and specific tools developed for this purpose are intended to take the necessary change for the protection of biodiversity a big step forward.
Contact Global Nature Fund (GNF)
International Foundation for Environment and Nature
Ralph Dejas
Project Manager and Coordinator "Food for Biodiversity"
Kaiser-Friedrich-Str. 11
53113 Bonn
+49 179 998 06 12
dejas@globalnature.org