Lhe agri-food sector is undoubtedly the main responsible for the disappearance of biodiversity globally. Due to intensive production practices, our food massively destroys terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and is responsible for 80% of deforestation.
However, everything happens as if the agri-food industry had not yet become fully aware of its massive impact on biodiversity. This subject still remains a blind spot, made invisible by that of carbon emissions, the reduction of packaging or food waste.
Let us remember for all intents and purposes that biodiversity is not a subject like any other: it is the keystone of our food systems. Earthworms, trees, mushrooms, bees are the invisible (and free) workers who allow farmers to produce what nourishes us. Without biodiversity, no pollination, no fertile soils, no recycling of nutrients, no regulation of invasive species or diseases. Without biodiversity, there is no purification of water and air, no regulation of the climate through wetlands.
Very short-term concrete consequences
For agri-food companies, the accelerated disappearance of biodiversity on a global scale therefore has very concrete and very short-term consequences. It increases the risks of raw material supply, and therefore of reduction in margins. It increases health risks on agricultural production, and therefore product quality.
It increases the difficulties of adapting production chains to climate risks. And it places the reputational risks associated with the destruction of living ecosystems on brands. Biodiversity is a common capital whose disappearance concerns all agri-food companies and should give their managers insomnia. It is clear that this is not the case.
In all economic sectors, the sustainable development strategies of companies today are almost all focused on reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This is obviously an important area, but one that is notoriously insufficient when we talk about food.
Unlike the transport, energy or automobile sectors, agriculture and agri-food are sectors which are directly linked to nature and which work with living matter. Their sustainability strategy must therefore necessarily take into account the impacts of agricultural practices on biodiversity and integrate preservation or restoration actions.
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