A new series of case analyses by IDH shows why it makes good business sense for companies to engage in a landscape approach to sustainable production, forest protection and social inclusion.
More and more leading companies are adopting a landscape approach to mitigate the impacts of agricultural production and deliver on their environmental and social sustainability commitments – from pledges to stop deforestation to contributing to UN sustainable development goals (SDGs).
They collaborate with public and private stakeholders across entire states, or jurisdictions to ensure sustainable development goes beyond a single farm or commodity, and instead contributes to sustainable development at the landscape level, with the potential to reach impact at scale.
They are also seeing many benefits to business to working in this way.
IDH identifies these benefits through detailed case analyses of companies working in four landscapes: Brazil (São Marcelo, cattle farmer), Indonesia (Bumitama, oil palm grower), Vietnam (Louis Dreyfus, coffee trader), Ghana (Touton, cocoa producer and trader) and Kenya* (Finlays, tea trader).
The benefits include:
- Securing a strong market position by attracting new buyers, thus increasing sales volumes and revenues;
- Unlocking potential for investment (for example for conservation), which in turn could help make areas commercially viable;
- Mitigating reputation risk and maintaining customer loyalty by helping them meet sustainability pledges;
- Ensuring long-term supply and price stability in the face of climate change and environmental degradation;
- Securing a license to operate by using an inclusive approach and engaging with multiple stakeholders at various levels. This ensures a company’s activities are both socially and legally accepted.
*The case study from Finlays was added in May 2019.
Image credit: Bumitama Agri