Biodiversity

This requirement can be followed up during the contract period by, for example, spot checks of the product(s) undertaken on one or more occasions. This can be done, for example, by checking the following:

• Valid licence/certificate for a label/certification that covers the requirement, for example Svenskt Sigil/IP Sigill Frukt och Grönt [Swedish Seal/IP Seal Fruit & Vegetables], Global GAP add-on biodiversity, or equivalent.

Make use of specialist expertise in your organisation when following up the summitted evidence of compliance. This could, for example, be an environmental or sustainability strategist with extensive expertise within questions related to sustainability.

The criterium is relevant for conventionally grown fruit and vegetables. The criterium may be limited by market availability and may vary for different products and be subject to seasonal variation. Conduct a market analysis to ensure availability.
Market analysis (in Swedish) 

Fresh fruit and vegetables often lack a unique identification in the form of GTIN and the corresponding article information in the digital system. Therefore, follow-up can require significant resources, for both the purchaser and the supplier. 
More about GTIN and identification of fruit and vegetables (in English) 

The loss of biodiversity is one of our generation's biggest sustainability challenges. It is one of the areas, where estimations are reliable, that is deemed to have exceeded the planetary boundaries. According to researchers, we are heading into, or currently experiencing, a sixth mass extinction. A rapid development that is shown through the large number of species lost. The reason for this is human activities, such as large-scale food production, forestry, the use of fossil fuels, and changes in the natural ecosystem.

Losses in biodiversity also entail losses of the ecosystem services that biodiversity provides. Examples of these include pollination, food production, cleaning of water, fertile soils, and climatic regulation.

The importance of biodiversity is being raised by more and more actors and several initiatives have been started to conduct activities that both protect and strengthen biodiversity. Within agriculture, there are good possibilities for conducting such measures while at the same time also securing good future harvests.

The measures may be different depending on the conditions and the specific effects that it is important to achieve. It could, for example, be the establishment of buffer zones along waterways and/or sensitive ecosystems; optimised and reduced use of plant protection products; or measures to facilitate the establishment and spread of flora and fauna.

The version date indicates when the sustainability criterion was created or last updated. Last reviewed dated tells when we last checked that the sustainability criterion still is relevant.