Nearly 100 experts have agreed on some of the key first steps towards a ‘TEEB for Agriculture and Food study,’ which aims to raise awareness of the importance of natural capital for the sector.

At an event held in Brussels from 8 to 11 September, environmental economists and ecologists – together with stakeholders from the health and nutrition sectors and others – agreed on the study’s role as a science-based assessment and thus how the next work phases should be carried out. Agreement was also reached on guidance for the research the report will contain and its structure.

In his video message welcoming participants to the event, UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner commented on how throughout his career he had been struck by the “uneasy relationship” and “perceived different objectives” between the environmental sustainability and agriculture sectors.

Yet the latter “holds the potential to be part of the solution to the challenges of the 21st century,” he underlined, with the TEEB approach opening the eyes of many to the “invisible value of nature”. The success of our economies and societies depends on rediscovering their link to the health of our planet, stressed Mr Steiner.

The first Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) report highlighted the financial cost of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. It found that including natural capital in government and business accounting could reduce these losses.

A full report from the workshop can be read here.
Please get in touch with chiara.moroni@unep.org for more information.