We’ve all heard of the rallying World War Two cry, ‘Dig for Victory’, urging citizens to combat food shortages by growing fruits and vegetable in their allotments and gardens. Well, now people are being urged to make food swaps to stop biodiversity loss....
Can you put a price on biodiversity loss? That’s the question being posed by economists at Wageningen Economic Research as they seek to understand and communicate the full impact that biodiversity loss will have on our ability to produce food in the future.
Food and farming organisations including CLEAR and its member organisations, Sustainable Food Trust and Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), have raised concerns regarding newly released eco-labelling guidelines from the IGD, which have recently been delivered...
The UK’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has announced fresh details of actions and payments for its environmental land management schemes.
WWF Italy is collaborating with Rainforest Connection and Chinese tech giant Huawei to consider whether there is a difference in the biodiversity seen in organic and conventional farming systems.
The global snack and confectionery giant is expanding its Harmony Programme in Hungary – aiming for a higher local wheat content for its biscuits produced at its Győr biscuit factory in Székesfehérvár in central Hungary.
Five hundred farmers in Tesco’s Sustainable Dairy Group (TSDG) are being encouraged to install 5,000 nesting boxes to support migratory birds like swifts, swallows and house martins.
The global food price crisis illustrates the need for key players in the food chain to bring forgotten and under-researched crops to the attention of markets and to consumers' tables, according to author Dan Saladino.
Relocating current croplands to ‘optimal locations’ - while allowing ecosystems in then-abandoned areas to regenerate - could turn back the clock on carbon emissions, according to a team of international researchers.
Natural ingredient supplier Beneo is transforming a settling pond into a wildlife haven in partnership with environmental organisations Natagora and Natagriwal. This is just one example of how ‘small changes… eventually add up to significant environmental...
Increased investment in biodiversity is needed to eradicate hunger and achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, according to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
French head-quartered Ecotone placed biodiversity at the heart of its business when it because an Entreprise à Mission, incorporating the mission of ‘food for biodiversity’ into its articles of association. We speak to CEO Christophe Barnouin to learn...
Scientists have discovered that a plant native to America could be grown in the UK and Europe, bringing huge potential benefits for ‘a balanced, sustainable diet’.
Quantis is launching geoFootprint, a digital tool that the company describes as the ‘first’ to use satellite technology to map the environmental impact of food production on an interactive map. The innovation holds the key to ‘smarter, science-driven...
The Jordans Farm Partnership (JFP) – spearheaded by The Jordans, Dorset & Ryvita Company, owned by Associated British Foods – provides a valuable example of how it is possible to make significant gains for nature without negatively affecting profits.
Global food businesses are backing the call for international action to stem – and ultimately reverse – nature loss. But efforts to date have failed to yield sufficient results. FoodNavigator examines the business case for action on biodiversity and asks...
Current agricultural practices and the expansion of intensive agriculture into biodiverse hotspots globally are threatening the what is left of the world’s biodiversity. What action can the food industry take to slow biodiversity loss?
Unilever recently set out a range of commitments to tackle climate change as well as halt – and even reverse – the degradation of the natural world. This includes a target to reach net zero emissions from all products by 2039. FoodNavigator speaks to...
FoodNavigator’s latest rundown of the wheelings and dealings in Brussels come as an in-coming group of nominees set out their plans and priorities before the European Parliament ahead of joining the College of Commissioners. Some telling things were said...
A study comparing the effects of vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous diets on biodiverse ‘hotspots’ in the tropics has been published by researchers in Scotland and Germany.
A Belgian start-up is analysing pollen samples to monitor bees’ environments, a Quebecois innovation is tapping AI tech to ‘give bees a voice’, and dairy farmers in the UK and Sweden are creating insect-friendly ecosystems to promote biodiversity.
Biodiversity in food production is getting more attention from consumers and food makers alike. How can the sector safeguard against biodiversity loss?
The biodiversity essential for food production is disappearing by the day, says a damning report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) – yet there are areas for positive action. The first-of-kind report suggests steps manufacturers could take...
By diversifying the ingredients in processed food, manufacturers can contribute to healthier diets and a healthier planet with more biodiversity, say the creators of a free-to-download indicator.
Despite living on a planet with 50,000 edible plants, 60% of our energy intake comes from just three: rice, maize and wheat. What is this lack of dietary diversity doing to our health and the environment?
Changing how countries produce food is “fundamental” to protecting the Earth’s ecosystem, according to the head of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Voluntary sustainability standards covering everything from palm oil to fish and tea to sugar will play a significant role in helping food businesses meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to a new analysis by WWF and ISEAL published...
A tax on meat and stricter rules on marketing of cheap products that contain “empty calories” are needed as part of a major overhaul of the global food system, according to a report by the International Resource Panel.
Voluntary measures and government targets are great – but it is legislation that will push European palm oil users to true sustainability. The food sector could learn a lesson or two from biofuel here.
European industry association FoodDrinkEurope has called for an ambitious global climate deal to help justify investment in low carbon technologies, it said in a report released at Expo Milano last week.
Mondelez International is on track to meet its goal of sourcing 100% traceable palm oil by the end of the year after reaching 70% traceability in 2014, says global director of sustainability Jonathan Horrell.
Reaching the goal of 100% Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) in Europe by 2020 is a big challenge with significant barriers, says RSPO, but one that is ultimately achievable with company and national commitments.
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has been called on to renew its principles on zero deforestation, land development and rights by Cargill Refined Oils Europe.
Most of the world’s palm oil is set to be sustainably sourced, after Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) became the latest major supplier to commit to forest conservation last week, says Catapult, an organisation working to end deforestation-linked commodities...
The WWF Germany has compared the ProTerra Certification scheme for sustainable soy with the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) – and has found now reason to prefer one over the other when recommending a scheme for the feed supply chain.
Forest fragmentation driven by demand for palm oil is having a catastrophic effect the level of biodiversity, and may be endangering certain species, according to scientists from the Queen Mary University of London.
Unilever and Coop Switzlerland’s efforts to promote conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity serve as positive examples and can help push biodiversity up the agenda of the food industry, says the Union for Ethical Biotrade following the first...
China, India and the US must make firm commitments to sourcing sustainable palm oil if any meaningful progress is to be made on tackling deforestation, according to one UK government minister.
Spanish vegetable oil processor Lipidos Santiga (Lipsa) is expanding its refining capacity after receiving its first shipment of sustainable segregated palm oil in January.
Food companies must ensure their supply chains are transparent and socially responsible in order to prevent backlashes from consumer activists and non-governmental groups on Facebook or Twitter, which could have costly brand repercussions.
Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate is aiming to have 10,000 tonnes of UTZ-certified cocoa available for the market in 2010, as the first two Ivory Coast cooperatives achieve certification and others are expected to get there soon.
The UK needs a cross-government strategy for food that clearly outlines industry’s role, and defines an environmentally sustainable diet as well as a healthy one, say food policy advisors.
Mars has pledged that its entire cocoa supply will be certified as sustainably produced by 2020, through a multi-year, multi-country deal forged with the Rainforest Alliance.
The first-ever meeting of the Governing Body of the International
Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture took
place in Madrid yesterday.
