Some of the first and successful entrepreneurial pioneers in biodiversity-friendly production and marketing are already active – in the production of spices in India, for example, and in the cultivation, harvesting and processing of agaves in Mexico.

However, this niche trend can only become widespread through targeted promotion, because most of the political framework conditions are not yet oriented on promoting biodiversity-friendly production – although many private sector stakeholders are already developing approaches for integrating biodiversity into production and marketing methods. Environmental costs, for example, are significantly increased by the excessive pollution of soil and water by nitrates and by the high rate of insect mortality caused by pesticide use and monocultures – but these issues are still not being adequately addressed. In India, the project supports the development of Biodiversity Action Plans to develop more awareness for biodiversity in the Indian spice sector, e.g. for nutmeg and pepper.

The ‘Private Business Action for Biodiversity’ project recently inquired about instruments, processes and mechanisms that are particularly suitable for promoting more biodiversity-friendly production and marketing – and about those which are less appropriate. The focus of the analysis was on voluntary sustainability standards and labels as well as private financing mechanisms. Studies were carried out on political framework conditions, stakeholders and existing instruments and mechanisms in the partner countries of Brazil, India and Mexico, in order to gain an overview of the mechanisms and instruments already being used. At the same time, specific case studies for biodiversity-friendly production and marketing were identified and analysed in the three countries, including the bat-friendly cultivation of agaves, the planting of spices in agroforestry systems, the sale of carnauba wax as a secure income even during the dry season and the traditional collection of açaí in the Amazon region.

In terms of cooperation – and especially in the case of small and medium-sized enterprises – this results in recommendations for project-implementing organisations, donors and companies in the following sectors:

•     results monitoring
•     traceability
•     financing mechanisms
•     management tools
•     capacity development

The project has compiled a brochure that provides an overview of these results and recommendations for the most important funding. The publication is entitled ‘Biodiversity-friendly production and marketing. Results of the scoping phase of the ‘Private Business Action For Biodiversity’ project, September 2016 – February 2018’ and is available for download in English in the IKI Infotheque.