A number of large food manufacturers, retailers, certification agencies, farmers’ associations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have recently joined forces on a new initiative called “Food for biodiversity”. Its aim is to find ways to lessen the food system’s negative impacts on wild species.

While the presence of biodiversity is crucial for the continued functioning of ecosystems, including agricultural ones, food production today poses significant risks to thousands of plant and animal species. The new association brings together the food manufacturer Nestlé, supermarket chains Rewe and Lidl, certification bodies Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade Germany, the NGOs Global Nature Fund, the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), as well as the organic farmers’ group Naturland and the Association of Organic Food Producers.

These actors plan to adopt a set of 67 measures to protect biodiversity. They will apply them in pilot projects and document their implementation, especially with regard to agricultural products whose cultivation is particularly risky for other species. In 2023, the pilots will be revised and a timetable for the possible extension of the measures to all of the actors’ supply chains will be considered. The hope is that by anchoring the protection of biodiversity to purchasing and certifying specifications, farmers will be incentivised to adopt more sustainable practices.

The association also aims to train employees, advisors and auditors on the issue of biodiversity, raise awareness among consumers about its importance in food production, and promote the demand for appropriate products. Finally, the association will advocate for better legislation to safeguard ecosystems.

However, considering the less-than-stellar track record of many of the actors involved, what this new initiative will actually achieve remains to be seen.

The association’s most prominent member is undoubtedly the Swiss company Nestlé, the world’s largest food manufacturer. The company is already engaged in several biodiversity-related projects, including the provision of nesting boxes for bats in tomato-growing areas, and the ecological restoration of riparian buffer zones. Some of these projects are linked to the European Union Life project on insect-friendly regions. Nestlé also has “sustainable” sourcing programs for fourteen of its strategically important raw materials.

However, the company does not set aside a fixed budget for its environmental procurement programs, financing them on a case-by-case basis with NGOs, nor does it set the goal of achieving a proportion of its sales through sustainable means. Furthermore, despite the presence of organic actors in the new association, Nestlé does not plan to incentivise the conversion of its suppliers to organic agriculture. Its aim is to improve conventional farming.

The European Union’s Biodiversity Strategy 2030 lists the agri-food system as one of the three economic sectors most dependent on biodiversity. New initiatives such as the Food for biodiversity one are therefore welcome, provided they seek to achieve immediate and substantial change, not window-dressing and green-washing.

Featured image