Recommendations to To improve biodiversity protection in policy and criteria of food standards and sourcing requirements of food companies and retailers
The recommendations are directed primarily at standard organisations as well as companies of the food sector with own sourcing requirements. Cooperatives and associations of the food sector can use them as an orientation for more biodiversity compatible agricultural production processes.
They focus on standards and companies policy as well as criteria and requirements providing practical recommendations for the reduction of negative impacts and the creation of more potential for biodiversity.
The recommendations have been published within the EU LIFE Initiative "Biodiversity in Standards and Labels for the Food Sector". They were elaborated in collaboration with experts from standard organisations, certification companies, food companies, environmental organisations and scientific institutions.
The recommendations focus on the following main drivers of biodiversity loss: degradation and destruction of ecosystems, overexploitation of natural resources and invasive alien species. The objectives are to avoid or 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.
With this extensive catalogue of recommendations, the authors present the full range of criteria and measures for protecting biodiversity. Standard organisations, food companies and
farm operations are invited to compare the recommendations with their criteria and practices, set priorities and start by implementing the most important recommendations.
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