Biodiversity in Standards and Sourcing Guidelines
The partners of the EU LIFE Food & Biodiversity initiative analysed more than 50 standards, labels and company requirements with regard to their criteria on biodiversity. The results were summarised in a Baseline Report and evaluated with representatives of standard organisations and companies from the food industry. The Analysis indicated the need and the potential to improve the biodiversity performance of standards and company requirements.
Based on this finding a set of recommendations was prepared to improve and enhance biodiversity criteria in standards and sourcing guidelines. These recommendations were elaborated in collaboration with experts from standard organisations, certification companies, food companies, environmental organisations and scientific institutions.
The objectives of the recommendations are to reduce negative impacts on biodiversity and to improve the protection of and the potential for biodiversity. The criteria and measures are a good “compromise” between nature conservation needs and feasibility from standards' and companies' points of view and they have direct and indirect positive impacts on the farming activities.