the landscape standard - verra · landscape standard progress & timeline 2019 june public...

The Landscape StandardA global framework to drive environmental, social and economic

sustainability in production landscapes

Photo from Pexels

Agenda

1. Why does the world need the Landscape Standard?2. What is the Landscape Standard?3. Our pilot landscapes4. Questions & Discussion

Presenters: Naomi Swickard, Verra (nswickard@verra.org)Sophie Persey, Rainforest Alliance (spersey@ra.org)

Photo: Sophie Persey

1. Why we need the Landscape Standard

We face severe and urgent challenges...

Source: Guardian,8 October 2018 Jonathan Watts

“Civilisation is in crisis.

We can no longer feed our

population a healthy diet whilst

balancing planetary resources.”

Tamara Lucas, Richard Horton.

Comment: The 21st century great food transformation

#EATLancet

We need ambitious solutions

● Better visibility of risks within a landscape

● Willingness to take responsibility for

impacts beyond production unit

● Tools to support cross-sectoral action at

landscape scale

Photo from Pexels

How the Landscape Standard (LS) can help:

● UNDERSTAND: Consistent and holistic set of

metrics to assess landscape sustainability

● COMMUNICATE: Verification of assessment &

credible reporting of progress

● INCENTIVISE: Investment & sourcing decisions

linked to landscape performance

● ACTION: drive cross-sectoral, multi-stakeholder

action to improve landscape sustainability

Photo by H E NG S T R E A M on UnsplashedPhoto from Pexels

Landscape actors★ Natural

resource-based industry

★ Government

Who could benefit from using LS?

Global actors★ Supply chain

companies★ Donors &

investors

Use LS to assess & mitigate risk

● Information about the cumulative impact

of activities within a landscape

● Visibility of issues which may impact the

future viability of operations or investment

● Take action to mitigate or adapt to threats

Photo from Pexels

Use LS to drive aligned action

● A practical tool to assess the most critical

indicators of landscape sustainability

● Help diverse stakeholders to agree on

what to monitor

● Catalyst for cross-sectoral action to

improve landscape sustainability

● Could inform setting of shared targets

Photo from PexelsI

Use LS to demonstrate impact and differentiate

● Demonstrate leadership by being transparent

about sustainability performance beyond direct

operations or supply chain

● Provide stakeholders with greater reassurance

that an operation or investment will be

sustainable

● Credible reporting of landscape sustainability

performance

● Attract buyers and investorsImage from Pexels

2. What is the Landscape Standard?

It is not a traditional certification standard...

It is...

● A consistent and holistic set of metrics (Principles, Criteria & Indicators)○ Assess the state & trajectory of sustainability outcomes at landscape scale

○ Using existing data sources wherever possible

○ Specifies outcomes against which improvement is desirable

○ Does not dictate practices that must be adopted or performance thresholds that must be met

● A system for verifying outcomes and making claims

● An online platform - registry of verified landscape sustainability performance

● Supporting tools○ Eg. Verification of actor contribution, scenario planning/modelling

Watch this space for a new name!

The Principles, Criteria & Indicators

Principles

★ Ecosystems

★ Biodiversity

★ Ecosystem services

★ Intensified production

Principles

★ Land use planning & management

★ Land/resource tenure

★ Human well-being

★ Human rights

Landscape Standard Progress & Timeline

2019 JunePublic consultation on draft Principles, Criteria & Indicators

A new name for the Landscape Standard

December Beta testing of 1st version of the framework and associated guidance materials

2020 Development of data platform, assurance mechanism & claims framework

2nd formal public consultation

December Full framework released for public use

2021+ Continuous refinement and development of new tools & guidance

A collaborative initiative

Advisory Group

Secretariat

Global partners

Axel Hebel (European Investment Bank)Christopher Stewart (Olam)Daniel Spethman (Working Lands)Ernest Dwamena (Touton)Greg Watson (Inter-American Development Bank)Jan Kees-Vis (Unilever)

Jonas Dallinger (GIZ)Kim Frankovich (Mars)Ruth Thomas (Global Agribusiness Alliance)Sara Scherr (EcoAgriculture)Simon Lord (Sime Darby Plantation)Stephen Donofrio (Supply Change)Raphaele Deau (WWF Landscape Finance Lab)

3. Our Pilots

The pilots

Peru

● Selected Lamas District in San Martin

Province

● San Martin government keen to market itself

as a sustainable jurisdiction

● A multi-commodity landscape (cocoa, coffee,

oil palm)

● Primarily smallholders with some links to

global coffee & cocoa supply chains

Costa Rica

● Selected a watershed near San Jose

● Collaborating with the Agua Tica

Water Fund to:

○ Demonstrate impact of

investment and restoration

activities

○ Link to other initiatives in

landscape

● Coffee producers and traders can

use LS to assess sustainability risks

and better position their products in

market Members of the Agua Tica Water Fund

Ghana

● Potential to help private sector and

government demonstrate

compliance with Cocoa and Forest

Initiative and REDD+ commitments

● Focusing on REDD+ Hotspot

Intervention Areas in Juabeso Bia

and Kakum

● Likely implemented through Public-

Private Partnerships

Image courtesy of Francesco Veronesi on Flickr

Guatemala

● Challenges in Costa Sur Landscape::

○ Water overexploitation

○ Coastal resilience

○ Large-scale restoration

● Large-scale industrial commodity production

with interest in improved marketing to US

(sugar cane, bananas, oil palm)

● Key partners: RA, Solidaridad, Agroamerica,

Assoc. of Banana Producers, Ministry of

Agriculture (MAGA)

4. Questions