Dr. Katharina Krumbiegel’s Post

Do voluntary sustainability standards improve socioeconomic and ecological outcomes? 💰 🐦 🌱 In our study that just got published in Ecological Economics, we explore how voluntary sustainability standards (e.g. Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance) affect Ghanaian smallholder cocoa farmers and the biodiversity on their cocoa plots. Our results indicate positive effects on socioeconomic outcomes. However, we did not find significant associations with ecological outcomes. A common concern is that gains in socioeconomic outcomes might come at the expense of the environment. Encouragingly, our study found no such trade-offs—suggesting that sustainability standards can support smallholder farmers (at least) without compromising the plot-level environment. A huge thank you and credits to all co-authors of this work Issaka Abdulai, Amanda M. Cooke, Dr. Katharina Krumbiegel, Carolina Ocampo, Arne Wenzel and Meike Wollni

📰 SUSTAINABILITY NEWS 📰 In this week’s newsletter…Our June Members Monthly Meetup looked at food-sector reputation risk, if produce comes from illicitly-deforested land! Things have shifted from just an ethics call to a business-safety one, under the new EU Deforestation Regulation. Big thanks to Adrian Copeland, CEO of Sodexo Hong Kong for sharing his insights, and to his company for playing host! At the World Benchmarking Alliance conference in Bangkok, I learned that some regard sustainability as an attempt by the rich world to hold back the developing part. Consensus on sustainability can’t be taken for granted! The UN says in 2022 aquaculture generated 51 percent of all seafood and edible marine plants. It’s vital the sector doesn’t unwittingly create an illusion of environmental action, and instead really helps address marine degradation. HK take note for the city’s sustainable seafood development plan! In the private sector, businesses generally are great at innovating and adapting to stay profitable. We can help your company use those skills to unlock innovation for climate and food! In other news, the European Union has taken the historic step of passing the Nature Restoration Law, which sets binding targets to revitalise degraded ecosystems. Checkout this week’s newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eSkM3FmZ Sign up here so you don't miss out: https://lnkd.in/gg9ZK9AP

The Ideal Future: Can We Ever Truly Be “Sustainable”? - https://lnkd.in/gJ_KpUhy Claire Williams Agriculture Myth Busting You read correctly: Agriculture Myth Busting has returned! To match some of the in-office conversations we’ve been having about its increasing generality and meaninglessness, I thought this season should be themed around sustainability. I believe there are aspects of the concept that are unintentionally missed in agricultural discussions, business planning, consumption, and policy. Therefore, my goal with the 2024/2025 AMB series is to trim some of the abstract away from the sustainability skeleton, and hopefully provide you with a better foundation of agricultural sustainability. Between the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Canada’s own federal initiatives

How do we train the farmers of tomorrow to make farming attractive for the next generation? How do we give them the knowledge and capacity they need to produce at the level of productivity needed to meet the demands of tomorrow? Our Director of Sustainability, Olivier Tichit, shared insights at Singapore Institute of International Affairs 11th Sustainable World Resources event last Thursday. Oliver's comments align with a perspective shared by co-panelist Joseph D’Cruz, CEO of Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) - sustainability isn't just about meeting external requirements such as reporting but about "helping businesses stay in business by ensuring resources are not depleted, effectively sustaining them into the future."   In this spirit, Musim Mas goes beyond our operations. We build capacity at the local government and landscape level, training the farmers of tomorrow to produce sustainably to meet the demands of tomorrow.

Our team is proud to present the new #Bayer Sustainability Report for 2023. Bayer | Crop Science is championing climate resilient practices across some key arenas. 🌽 Food Security: We've made significant strides in breeding advancements which have enabled us to feed a larger population while conserving arable land. With the global population on the rise, expected to reach >9 billion by 2050, it's crucial to ensure a robust food system that can provide nourishing food for all. Our downstream partnership approach aims to encourage farmers, food processors, and traders to collaborate for sustainable and resilient food systems. 🧑🌾 Smallholder Farmers: Our goal is to support 100 million smallholder farmers in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) by 2030. We're achieving this through climate-resilient seeds, comprehensive trainings, and strategic partnerships. We believe in empowering farmers with the necessary resources to adopt sustainable agricultural practices. 🌾 Transforming Cropping Systems: Rice is one of the most important staple crops in the world. Transitioning from traditional rice cultivation to direct seeded rice has resulted in up to 40% reduction in water usage and up to 45% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. I encourage you all to read the report to understand better how we're collaborating to address some of the world's most critical challenges. Here's the link:

🌱 How are leading agri-food companies addressing nature-related risks and embracing sustainable practices? In this article, we explore Nutrien's innovative approach to sustainability through the ACT-D framework (Assess, Commit, Transform, Disclose). Discover how Nutrien is tackling key issues in biodiversity, water management, and regenerative practices to create positive impacts across its operations. 📖 Read the full case study to learn how Nutrien is setting a new standard for sustainable growth in the agri-food sector: https://lnkd.in/dz7S6GDT

#Bayer has just released its Sustainability Report, highlighting our commitment to a greener, more sustainable future! In the report, you'll find updates on our progress in: 🌱 Reducing environmental impact 💚 Improving farmer livelihoods 🌟 Promoting sustainable agriculture practices 💻 Leveraging digital innovation for sustainability At Bayer, we believe that sustainability and profitability go hand-in-hand. That's why we're dedicated to creating a better future for all - farmers, consumers, and the planet. 🌎 Read the full report and join us in our journey for #HealthforAll 💚 #Hunger4None #RegenerativeAgriculture

🌱 Sustainability 🌱 What does it means for DMNP in 2024 ? Recently, we published an article detailing some of the different actions we lead both on the ground and in our processes to proactively develop a sustainable approach in our business. Some highlights: - How our Farmers’ Association in Madagascar is impacting the living conditions locally? - Why do we consider traceability and sustainability certifications essential? - Which social initiatives do we keep on supporting for 2024? - How do we export our practices on a larger scale? Each step we take reinforces our commitment to creating a more sustainable and equitable world, with more projects in preparation which we will share in due time. Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/dWQgPhUs

Last week, Clarmondial’s Elisa Cifiello attended the ISEAL Global Sustainability Symposium in Baden, Switzerland, hosted with support from SECO Economic Cooperation and Development - it was great to connect with existing partners and new ones including Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa Christian Robin Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) Wyn Ellis Bonsucro Norma Tregurtha Round Table on Responsible Soy Association (RTRS)   Elisa Cifiello the pleasure of meeting with Rainforest Alliance CEO, Santiago Gowland, which was especially timely given our recently announced partnership to pilot an investment in the Mount Kenya landscape, funded by the IKEA Foundation. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/dkFWhA7y   A key topic of discussion at the event was on EU due diligence & deforestation & corporate responsibility regulations (e.g., EUDR, CSRD) and determining who along the value chain should bear the associated compliance costs. Smallholders are particularly challenged due to limited resources, making it difficult for them to afford the costs associated with compliance, putting them at risk of being excluded from the value chain all together. Attendees highlighted the importance of collaboration, particularly between companies and their suppliers, to ensure adherence to emerging standards and regulations. We look forward to continuing to developing, implementing and scaling solutions that support value chain & landscape collaboration.   #DueDiligence #ValueChains #Smallholders #EURegulations #Sustainability

This publication was the first major step in my doctoral thesis and was published in Journal of Environmental Planning and Management: Sustainability reporting as a tool for fostering sustainable growth in the agri-food sector: the case of Spain 🌍 https://lnkd.in/e7G6TXYg