Transformation in the agrifood sector has the potential to deliver systemic benefits for nature, people and businesses. The TEEBAgriFood for Business project develops guidance to enable the sector to adopt a capitals approach to build resilience, mainstream best practice, protect biodiversity and contribute to a more sustainable food system.
Transforming our food system is one of the most important challenges we face this century. The ways in which the food system depends on the health of natural ecosystems is clear – from soil health to seasonal weather cycles to the water cycle. It’s also clear that the current degradation of natural systems impacts not only on agri-businesses, but also on workers, local communities, biodiversity, food security, public health, the economy and the climate.
Providing food security for a growing population and restoring the natural systems that food production depends upon, while ensuring social equality and equity along value chains requires a systems-based approach. By addressing natural, social, human and produced capital together, positive interventions can generate benefits that cascade through nature, society and the economy.
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity for Agriculture and Food (TEEBAgriFood) initiative brings together scientists, economists, policymakers, business leaders and farmers organizations to undertake and apply holistic assessments of agricultural systems, practices, products and policies.
Through its work, the initiative highlights the need for organisations in the food system to better understand their impacts and dependencies on natural, social and human capital, and provides them with the guidance to apply this information in their decisions in ways that deliver benefits across the system.
As part of a new project generously supported by the EU, the Capitals Coalition will work with businesses as part of this global UNEP project, with the overall goal of building resilience, mainstreaming best practice, protecting biodiversity and contributing to a more sustainable agriculture and food sector in 7 EU partner countries: Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico and Thailand.
Project activities
- Developing Guidelines
For business application, outlining how they can take better decisions based on assessment, measurement and valuation of invisible flows and stocks level of natural, social and human capitals across agri-food value chains. An international and high-level panel Steering Committee pilot the construction of these guidelines.
Find the draft guidelines here - Boosting country-wide collaboration
Building strong and robust country-level networks. The Capitals Coalition is creating strategic partnerships with local actors. In 2020, webinars on sustainable agriculture are organized in the seven countries partners. - Organizing roundtables
In each country, bringing together key stakeholders to discuss geographically-specific challenges, best practices and collaborate on the development of new guidelines based on the TEEBAgriFood Evaluation Framework and the Natural and Social & Human Capital Protocols. Discover the roundtable report per country below: - Building capacity through training programs
Providing the knowledge and support from experts to carry out natural, social and human capital assessments and pilot studies. Participants will be able to integrate their understanding into their day to day business activities. - Consolidate practical cases application
Share evidence and scale up guidance to a global audience for the transformation of decision-making in the world agri-food sector.
What next?
The TEEBAgriFood for Business team will be engaging with businesses in China, India and Indonesia through roundtables and training sessions. The team will focus on value chains in Malaysia and Thailand. We are already preparing for engagement across these countries.
After all 7 countries have provided input and insight, we will consolidate learnings, publish case studies and finalise the Guidelines, due to be completed in 2023.
As with all Coalition projects, TEEBAgriFood is collaborative and involves the diverse range of interests that exist in our network, particularly within business, conservation, government, science and academia, accountancy, finance and standard-setting. If you are interested in getting involved, connect with us here.
This project is made possible thanks to the generous support of the European Union.
