New Pilot Project: Biodiversity as an Opportunity for Agriculture
A new pilot project in Spain is testing a practical system for recording biodiversity and environmental indicators across 157 hectares of cultivated land. More than 30 indicators are being measured on fruit and vegetable farms—from soil life and beneficial organism populations to carbon footprint.
The project is being implemented by Biodiversity Grow / Quality and Adviser (coordination), GLOBALG.A.P., and the Global Nature Fund. It supports the development of the new GLOBALG.A.P. standard Sustainable Environmental Solutions (ESS), scheduled for release at the end of 2025, and incorporates the biodiversity criteria of the Food for Biodiversity initiative.
The goal is to make biodiversity measurable—and to use it as a strategic advantage for more sustainable and future-oriented agriculture.
European Business & Nature Summit 2025
On October 23 and 24, 2025, the European Business & Nature Summit will take place in Helsinki.
Organized by the EU Business & Biodiversity Platform and co-hosted by Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund, the summit brings together leaders from business and finance.
The focus: concrete measures for integrating nature and biodiversity into corporate strategies – from effective biodiversity management to innovative financing and nature-positive transformation.
Further information will follow on the website of the EU Business & Biodiversity Platform
Working Together for Greater Biodiversity: Food Industry Discusses Solutions to Stop Biodiversity Loss
Effectively integrating biodiversity protection into supply chains—how this can be achieved through significant steps is the topic of the European conference “Biodiversity in Food Supply Chains,” which will take place from November 13-14, 2024 in Berlin.
13. - November 14, 2024 European Conference – Biodiversity in Food Supply Chains
European Conference"Biodiversity in Food Supply Chains"
On November 13 & 14, 2024, we hosted a transformative event in Berlin dedicated to the crucial role of biodiversity in the global food supply chain. This conference spotlighted innovative approaches and best practices for protecting biodiversity while building sustainable and resilient food systems. Attendees engaged with exciting presentations from leading experts in industry, politics, and science, participated in interactive workshops, and networked with professionals from across Europe. Together, we tackled challenges and developed solutions to integrate biodiversity as a key component in our food systems.
This is an event was hosted by the association Food for Biodiversity. Co-hosts are The Federation of German Food and Drink Industries (BVE) and the EU Business & Biodiversity Platform.
Session 1: Reducing Risks
Claas Meineke (EDEKA): Safeguarding Resources: What are ways to respond?
Session 2: Overcoming Barriers
Break-out Session 1: Incentive Systems for Producers
Geert Hartlief (DMK Group, Dock Kaas U.A.): Overview and Positive Example of the Incentive Model
Severin Lehner (IP-SUISSE): Best Practices from Standards
Anna Rechsteiner (GLS Bank): Cash4Future: How banks (can) take responsibility for the planet
Break-out Session 2: Ways to Success – From Pilot to Mainstream
Break-out Session 3: Awareness Raising for Consumers
Julius Palm (followfood): How to Successfully Communicate Biodiversity to the Consumer?
Sebastian Olényi (Sustentio): Presenting the New Food for Biodiversity Communication Campaign
Break-out Session 4: The Food Retail Sector and Biodiversity: Overcoming Barriers to Change Throughout the Value Chain
Ariane Coulombe (CDP): Guidelines on Food Retailers and Biodiversity
Session 3: Response of Standards
- GLOBALG.A.P., Rene Capote
- Naturland, Johanna Saxler
- Fairtrade International, Juan Pablo Solis
- SMK / Planet Proof, Jaap Bij de Vaate
- UEBT – Union for Ethical Biotrade, Maria Julia Oliva
- ISCC – International Sustainability and Carbon Certification, Katharina Heidrich
Session 4: Monitoring and Reporting
Monitoring: Data for Performance Evaluation
Georg Hoffmann (Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG): Assessing Biodiversity Impacts on Product Level
Reporting Biodiversity and Action
Wouter Dieleman (EU Business & Biodiversity Platform): Biodiversity Disclosure Initiatives
Strong alliance for biodiversity – Food for Biodiversity and Biodiversity in Good Company offer dual membership.
Both initiatives are committed to preserving biodiversity as the foundation of our economic activity and carry out joint activities. With immediate effect, companies in the food sector can take advantage of an attractive dual membership in both organisations.
Food for Biodiversity was at ANUGA 2023 in Cologne
From October 7-11, 2023, we were present as an exhibitor at ANUGA in Cologne. At our booth, as part of the Retail Forum of the German Federation for Food Retail, we were able to present Food for Biodiversity to interested trade visitors. There were interesting discussions on the topic of “Biodiversity in the Food Sector.”
Together for greater biodiversity: the food sector discusses ways to halt biodiversity loss
The second major Food for Biodiversity conference “Biodiversity in the Food Sector” took place on May 22 and 23, 2023, in Frankfurt. Around 100 participants discussed potential solutions and courses of action for the industry.
National Conference 2023 – Biodiversity in the Food Sector
May 22-23, 2023
National Conference"Biodiversity in the Food Sector"
Few other industries depend as heavily on intact ecosystems and their services as the food sector. However, overexploitation, pollution, habitat destruction, and the climate crisis have led to a steadily increasing species extinction for years – according to the World Biodiversity Council, approximately one million species worldwide are acutely threatened with extinction. So how can the food industry react to this development and develop more sustainable future strategies? What levers can be used to better protect ecosystems? These and other questions were discussed at the expert conference “Biodiversity in the Food Sector” on May 22 and 23, 2023, at the Evangelical Academy in Frankfurt am Main.
Info Desk
Basic Set of Biodiversity Criteria for Temperate Zones
Food for Biodiversity
Basic Set of Biodiversity Criteria for the Tropics
Food for Biodiversity
Biodiversity in Global Agricultural Supply Chains
Global Nature Fund, GIZ
Deforestation-Free Supply Chains – An Opportunity for Companies
Global Nature Fund, Oro Verde
Regionalwert Leistungen Flyer
Regionalwert Leistungen GmbH
Profit Participation Certificates Flyer
Regionalwert Leistungen GmbH
Regionalwert Leistungen Flyer English
Regionalwert Leistungen GmbH
Regionalwert Leistungen Social Media Hub
Regionalwert Leistungen GmbH
Insect-Promoting Regions Project
Bodensee-Stiftung, GNF
BioVal Website
BioVal
Lidl CRS Report
Lidl Deutschland
On the Way to Tomorrow: Sustainability at Lidl
Lidl Deutschland
Naturland Standards on Production
Naturland
Organic Expertise
Naturland International
Roots and Values
Naturland
Presentations
Keynote – Prof. Dr. Katrin Böhning-Gaese
Director of the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre
Block 1 – What responsibility and levers does the food industry have to positively influence agriculture as the most important raw material provider?
The Food for Biodiversity Basic Set of Biodiversity Criteria
Nadja Kasperczyk, FiBL Deutschland
What are the priorities of the standards, what impacts are expected?
Rene Capote, GLOBALG.A.P. & Laura von Flemming, LIDL
Practical Initiatives by Companies
Andrea Schwalber
Cool Farm Tool
Megan McKerchar, Cool Farm Alliance
Biodiversity Check Agrícola
Marion Hammerl, Bodensee-Stiftung
Biodiversity Risk Filter
Leah Hupp, WWF
Thinking Beyond the Farm: The Landscape Approach
Patrick Trötschler, Bodensee-Stiftung
Block 2 – Challenges in the Food Industry (Processing and Trade)
New Reporting Standards: From Obligation to Opportunity
Tobias M. Wildner, Helmholtz UFZ and Value Balancing Alliance
Cost Absorption and Incentives for Improved Biodiversity Protection in Agriculture
Louisa Lösing, Global Nature Fund
Which Paths are Fair and Lead to the Goal? Methods and Experiences Using the Example of Regionalwert Performance Accounting
Christian Hiß, Regionalwert Leistungen GmbH
Block 3 – Working Groups
WG 1 – Internal Communication – Peter Zens
WG 2 – External Communication – Andrea Schwalber
WG 3 – Strategic Anchoring of Biodiversity – Stefan Schwarzer
Block 4 – Biodiversity in Global Agricultural Supply Chains, exemplified by the Tropics
The EU Deforestation Regulation and Biological Diversity
Franziska Rau, German Society for International Cooperation
Biodiversity for Tropical Crops in the Naturland Producer Standard
Eva Kohlschmid, Naturland
Food for Biodiversity Basic Set for the Tropics
Martin Schüller, Fairtrade Deutschland
From Farm to Fork – Success Factors for Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Agricultural Supply Chains
Thomas Schaefer, Global Nature Fund
Biodiversity in Global Agricultural Supply Chains. Case Studies for Biodiversity-Sensitive Design of Global Agricultural Supply Chains from Ecuador and Colombia
Ralf Buß, German Society for International Cooperation
Biodiversity: New Legal Requirements for Food Companies
An assessment by the Chairwoman of the Food for Biodiversity association, Marion Hammerl, on current legal requirements for food companies and helpful tools for their fulfillment.
Biological Diversity: Foundation for the Food Industry
Biodiversity protection must become part of the food industry’s understanding of quality!
The conference “Biodiversity in Food Retail” in Fulda was a complete success – there is a spirit of optimism