Brochure addresses players in the food industry and shows concrete ways to make agriculture more biodiversity-friendly
Biodiversity and ecosystem loss as a massive threat to agricultural production
Publication produced in cooperation with the Lake Constance Foundation and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Bonn, 20.09.2022: Transparency, sustainability, quality – the demands placed on supply chains are growing, not only by national and international legislation, but also by increasingly well-informed consumers. However, when it comes to raw materials from distant countries, it is often not easy to meet these criteria. This is why the Global Nature Fund (GNF) has published the brochure “Biodiversity in global agricultural supply chains – shaping the future, protecting nature”.
In the publication, the GNF shows ways in which supply chains can be organized sustainably for four key raw materials from Latin America (coffee, cocoa, bananas and palm oil). Focusing on Ecuador and Colombia, the brochure explains the biodiversity risks associated with the cultivation of raw materials and provides information on specific measures to improve biodiversity management. It also provides an overview of the legal framework for biodiversity conservation in agriculture at national, international and EU level and presents formats for international cooperation as business opportunities for companies. The publication also contains an overview of instruments for recording biodiversity potential in cultivation and an evaluation of standards and labels with regard to biodiversity aspects, providing buyers, CSR, product and quality managers with concrete decision-making aids.
Biodiversity loss and agriculture – risk and potential
Intact ecosystems with functioning ecosystem services are the prerequisite for our food production. However, according to a 2019 report by the United Nations World Biodiversity Council (IPBES), around one million species are acutely threatened with extinction and the annual loss of ecosystem services is estimated at six billion US dollars. Intensive agriculture is a key driver of species extinction, but at the same time has the potential to be part of the solution by switching to more biodiversity-friendly production. “With our brochure, we want to show ways in which food companies in Germany and the EU can check their global supply chains for biodiversity risks and advocate biodiversity-friendly production in the countries of origin. In doing so, they are fulfilling a responsibility that is also increasingly demanded by the legislator,” says Stefan Hörmann, responsible for the Business & Biodiversity division at GNF.
The brochure was produced in cooperation with the Lake Constance Foundation and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). “A core theme of our projects is to protect biodiversity along selected agricultural supply chains,” says Sabine Triemer, component manager in the GIZ Global Project Sustainability and Value Creation in Agricultural Supply Chains. “In order to successfully implement our projects in the production countries and anchor positive changes in the long term, we also need the commitment of companies from the food industry. We are delighted about the growing number of players who are motivated to work together to promote social, ecological and economic sustainability.”
Companies can simply become active
The GNF is still looking for interested companies that would like to improve their biodiversity footprint to support the implementation of biodiversity measures in Ecuador or Colombia. In addition, companies from the food industry can also find out about opportunities to get involved from the Food for Biodiversity association(www.food-biodiversity.de).
You can download the brochure here .
Learn more about the project Biodiversity in global agricultural supply chains
Contact us
Global Nature Fund (GNF) – Bonn Office
Stefan Hörmann
Deputy Managing Director
Phone: +49 228 184 86 94 11
E-mail: hoermann@globalnature.org
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