Biodiversity in companies

How can biodiversity be integrated into corporate management?

Biodiversity has so far received little attention in management literature and business practice. The food industry is no exception, even though it has a major impact on biodiversity through the use of land for raw agricultural products. In addition, there is little practical and theoretical knowledge on how to communicate biodiversity-promoting business practices. Accordingly, it is usually impossible for consumers to identify which products are better for biodiversity, so that little consideration is given to biodiversity when making purchases. Therefore, the module asks the following questions: How can biodiversity be integrated into management decisions of food companies so that the impact on biodiversity is adequately taken into account at their own location and along the product life cycles? How can commitment to biodiversity conservation be communicated in a useful way? How can consumers be sensitised to biodiversity conservation? Is there a willingness to pay for more biodiversity-friendly products?

In Module 3, together with the companies FRoSTA AG, Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG and Seeberger GmbH, we will work out how the effects of business and production processes on biodiversity along the food value chain can be better recorded and taken into account in decisions. Living labs work transdisciplinarily on experiments that are planned and carried out in collaboration between science and practice. Science and practice define the problem to be addressed and work out solutions and practice-relevant knowledge together in real practical processes. In addition, accompanying research takes place.

Living lab 1: Biodiversity at product level

The aim of this living lab is to quantify the impact of food production on biodiversity and to integrate it into sustainability management. This should enable better use of findings for management decisions (e.g. on investments, product developments, raw material production).

The living lab is being carried out with FRoSTA AG.

Living lab 2: Raw material target systems for biodiversity

The aim of this living lab is to review and further develop the existing target systems for raw materials with regard to the biodiversity impact in raw material procurement in order to contribute to the stabilisation or promotion of biodiversity.

The living lab is being carried out with Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG.

Living lab 3: Biodiversity in supplier management

The aim of this living lab is to find out how biodiversity can be integrated into supplier management in order to better protect and promote biodiversity on agricultural land.

The living lab is being carried out with Seeberger GmbH.

Social values

The aim of this research module is to collect social values on biodiversity and food production and the awareness of the connection between food production and biodiversity in Germany.

Impact assessment of biodiversity

The aim is to optimise the impact assessment of biodiversity in LCA in a practical way and to add diffuse effects and aquatic biodiversity.

Biodiversity in companies

Together with the companies FRoSTA AG, Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG and Seeberger GmbH, living labs are being used to work out how the effects of corporate and production processes on biodiversity along the food value chain can be better recorded and taken into account in decisions.

Transdisciplinary integration

The goal of transdisciplinary integration is to bring together the knowledge from the three research modules and to develop it further together with the living lab companies and other companies, for example in the biodiversity working group.