Global Nature Fund/LCF - LIFE Presentation:

1. Main objective:
Effective protection of biodiversity by standards and labels as
well as sourcing requirements of food companies
Biodiversity in Standards and Labels
for the Food Sector

2. Improvement of biodiversity protection in food production – Actors and roles
Food retailers
Food producing companies
European Union
National governments
Regional governments
Consumer
Voluntary Standards
International, national,
regional
Farmers
Producer groups
Suppliers
Food retailers
Food producing companies
Legislation
Subventions
Market regulations
Regional
development
programmes
Consumer protection Consumer
Guarantee for certain
product qualities,
production methods
Control of legal
compliance
Orientation for
consumers

3. Improvement of biodiversity protection in food production – Options for action
European Union
National governments
Regional governments
Voluntary Standards
International, national,
regional
• Legislation: Increase biodiversity protection
• Subventions: Eliminate subventions for harmful production
methods
• Market regulations: No trading with countries destroying
ecosystems; Tax incentives for biodiversity products ……
• Regional development programmes: Support biodiversity
friendly practises; support reseach, implement monitoring
systems …….
• Consumer protection: Prohibit use of harmful pesticides;
information campaigns on value of biodiversity ……..
• Include biodiversity into policy and strategies
• Improve criteria /requirements with relevance for biodiversity
• Training of farmers and advisors
• Support regional biodiversity projects
• Implement monitoring system
• Inform and sensitize food sector regarding value of biodiversity
• Inform and sensitize consumers regarding value of biodiversity
• Request more strict legislation; implementation of legislation,
better governance …..
Food retailers
Food producing companies

4. 4
Food Industry
& Standards
Improve an existing
sourcing
Select new sourcing
sites
Governance
Agricultural
practices
Biodiversity
Performance
Tool
Basic set of
Biodiversity
criteria
Biodiversity
state
At Farm Level:
Biodiv action plan,…
At Industry Level:
Sourcing requirements
At EU Level:
Agri-environmental programmes,
Trade agreements….
EU LIFE Project
FPS Project
Recommen-
dations for
standards and
companies
Fromstrategytoconcretecriteriaandmeasures

5. 5
European Initiative – project partner in four EU countries
Core Initiative of
The project is supported by

6. Integrate biodiversity protection into the supply chain …..
More than 400 standards and labels with
relevance for the European market
Effective criteria for the protection of
soil, water, biodiversity …..
Harmonisation: Basic Set of Biodiversity
Criteria accepted by the food sector
Monitoring: Regular evaluation of the
impacts – Reports – Lessons learned
Food companies, suppliers and
standards support
Applied
science, pilot
projects
Training and
Incentives
Match-Funds for
investments Fair prices
Task of the sector:
Inform and sensitize costumers
No Price
dumping
Adequate margin to
cover social and
environmental
standards
Transparency:
Added value
for farmers

7. Measures
 Support standard-setting organizations and food companies to
include efficient biodiversity criteria into their schemes and sourcing
guidelines.
 Provide training for farm advisors and standard certifiers as well as
product and quality managers in companies
 Biodiversity Performance Tool to support farmers regarding sound
biodiversity management
 Implement a monitoring system for biodiversity used by all standards
and food companies.
 close communication and the dissemination of results to the food
sector.
Support the creation of an European initiative on “Biodiversity
Performance in the Food Sector” to continue working after the project
ends in 2020 (e.g. Basic Set of Biodiversity Criteria)

8. Exchange of Information ….
www.food-biodiversity.eu

9. Recommendations for effective biodiversity criteria in standards
and sourcing requirements
Target groups
 Standard organisations and companies with sourcing
requirements
 Cooperatives, suppliers
 Political decision makers, administrations on regional,
national, European level
Input
 Results and conclusions from Baseline Report
(54 Standards und Sourcing Guidelines screent)
 Studies, model projects, agri-environmental programmes
 Two workshops with standards, companies, certifiers,
scientific institutions, NGOs
 Comments from many organisations
Recommendations in English, German – and soon in
French, Spanish, Portuguese

10. Recommendations for effective biodiversity criteria - Structure
Recommendations
for standard and
company policy
Biodiversity
mangement
VERY good
agricultural
Practise
Recommendations
for processing
companies and
retailers
More potential for
biodiversity
Reduction of
negative impacts
Support agro-
biodiversity;
Sensitize
consumers

11. Recommendations for standard /companies policy
Consider all relevant aspects of
biodiversity
Consider No-Net-Loss of
biodiversity
No negative impacts because of
estetic „quality“ requirements
Protection and promotion of agro-
biodiversity
Ban of genetically modified organisms
Biodiversity criteria for the whole farm
Biodiversity Monitoring
Ensure and further develop the
quality of biodiversity
protection
Training for advisors, certifiers,
certified farms /
quality- and product manager
Principle of continuous
improvement

12. Recommendations for Criteria in Standards and Company Requirements
Biodiversity Management
Biodiversity Action Plan
- Baseline assessment
- Measures to create potential
- Measures to reduce negative impacts
- Minimum share of semi natural
habitats
- Creation of habitat corridors
- Preservation of grassland
- Management of semi-natural
habitats
- Protection of species
Protection of primary (natural) ecosystems,
semi-natural habitats and protected areas
Protection of water bodies; management of
riparian strips
Prevent Introduction and Spread of Invasive
Alien Species
Wild harvesting
Biodiversity Risk Analysis for Pre-Products
(e.g. seeds, seedlings)

13. Recommendations for Criteria in Standards and Company Requirements
VERY Good
Agricultural Practise
is needed !!

14. Recommendations for Criteria in Standards and Company Requirements
VERY Good Agricultural Practise
Soil and Fertilization
Standards /companies
- require nutrient balances and provide
proven methods
- regulate crop-specific nutrient limits
- provide guidelines for crop rotation
(excluding permanent crops)
- define requirements for an improvement of
soil quality
- establish requirements for the recognition
and prevention of soil damage, i.e. erosion
and compaction
- Improvement of fertilizer management
Pest Management
The general principle and long-term objective:
biological pest management + cultivation of crops
that are adapted to the respective location.
The basis is the consequent implementation of all
principles of the integrated pest management
The target is to reduce the negative impacts of
pesticides on biodiversity as much as possible.
The strategy: Continuous improvement in terms of
pesticide use (reduction in quantity and toxicity).
The application of pesticides that are particularly
harmful to biodiversity is excluded or strictly
restricted.
Pesticide users are regularly trained and motivated
in order to achieve the reduction target.

15. Recommendations for Criteria in Standards and Company Requirements
VERY Good Agricultural Practise
Livestock
• Criteria regarding the origin of feed stuff to
prevent the destruction of ecosystems in
other countries
• Criteria that prevent overgrazing and
destruction of agro-forestry ecosystems
• Criteria to reduce the amount of imported
feedstuff
Optimize the water use for irrigation
- Link between water source and water use
(ecosystem and ecosystem service) is critical
- Standard provides orientation values for
water consumption and efficient irrigation
systems
- Standard defines threshold values for certain
crops considering the climatic and local
conditions

16. Recommendations to support Agro-Biodiversity
Traditional crops and breeds …..
The standard organisation /company
• contribute to create better market access for
traditional varieties and breeds.
Farmers /suppliers who cultivate these will be
rewarded = incentives
• support initiatives for the further development of
traditional varieties with the objective to fulfil
current user expectations.
• reward certified farms /suppliers that supplement
agricultural production with educational, cultural,
social and tourist activities which are aiming at
promoting knowledge of agro-biodiversity
• …….

17. Recommendations for food processing companies and retailers
Agro-Biodiversity: create
products and markets,
incentives for farmers
Motivate supply chain to
support agro-biodiversity
Support smallholder farmers
and traditional practises
Assume an appropriate share
of the costs for biodiversity
protection and social
wellbeeing
Not take part in price
dumping at the expense of
environmental and social
standards
Support studies and consider
new information regarding
biodiversity
Informs about own direct and
indirect negative impacts
Revision of existing quality
guidelines to avoid negative
impacts on biodiversity
Informs and sensitize
consumers about biodiversity
Adequate and fact based
communication

18. Next steps …..
Recommendations in five
languages and dissemination
Supporting standards and
companies in the
improvement of criteria
Easy Guide for product and
quality manager
Lessons learned for EU
Commission, national and
regional governments
Food Sector Initiative on
Biodiversity – Basic Set of
Biodiversity Criteria

19. 19
Thanks for the contribution of our Partner-Standards and Companies

20. 20
Thanks for your attention!
hammerl@globalnature.org
This time
without you!