Biodiversity

The food industry plays a central role in reducing environmental impacts, since about half of human-driven biodiversity loss originates from food production and its value chain.

The most significant biodiversity impacts of the food chain arise from the production of raw materials. For food companies, key ways to promote biodiversity include influencing and developing production methods together with producers, as well as integrating biodiversity considerations into raw material sourcing.

The direct biodiversity impacts of the food industry mainly arise from production facilities and other infrastructure under the organisation’s control, such as premises, warehouses and logistics, as well as the water and energy use required by production processes, the generation of food waste and other waste, and the potential pollution of terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

Finnish food companies have long been working to support nature, and the results are already visible in the fields. Companies are developing solutions to cut emissions and improve the state of nature. Collaboration with farmers play a key role.

According to a survey by ETL, nearly one third of member companies have already set biodiversity targets, and almost half are planning to do so. Companies’ actions are supported by sharing best practices and working together with stakeholders. Developing common measurement methods and indicators is considered especially important in advancing nature-related work.

ETL encourages companies to be ambitious and to take voluntary action to reduce biodiversity impacts, while considering and ensuring the operating conditions of the food industry and the competitiveness of domestic companies in the short and long term