Assessing and acting on nature-related issues: Insights from business case studies in the agri-food system

The European Horizon SUSTAIN project – Strengthening Understanding and Strategies of Business to Assess and Integrate Nature – which is funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, under the grant agreement, aims to provide companies, financial institutions and agencies with the knowledge and resources needed to better understand, assess and control dependencies and impacts on the nature of the activities of the European Union. different sectors of the economy.

This paper presents case studies from Nutrien and Olam Agri and provides insights into how two agri-food companies from different stages of the value chain are addressing nature-related issues. By aligning their strategies with the ACT-D framework, these companies demonstrate the various approaches that other companies in the industry can take. This resource is aimed at sustainability teams, civil society organizations and financial institutions focused on the agri-food industry, providing them with the necessary knowledge to understand and manage nature-related risks and opportunities.

This publication collects case studies of companies in the agri-food system, which accompany similar documents focusing on the energy system and the built environment. Each of these documents presents how companies are working to identify and assess nature-related issues in accordance with the High-Level Business Actions on Nature to Assess, Engage, Transform and Disclose (ACT-D), Transform and Disclose (ACT-D).

While the four steps of ACT-D are addressed, the main focus is on the initial step, "Assess," emphasizing the importance of companies systematically addressing dependencies, impacts, risks, and opportunities (DIRO). In this way, companies are more likely to develop a credible nature strategy, in line with the It's Now for Nature campaign, and will be well on its way to contributing to the Global Goal for Nature to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030 by 2020, and achieve full recovery by 2050.