How do we make agriculture more nature-positive whilst improving farm economics?

Wednesday, March 10, 2021
10:30 - 12:00 (CET)

SYSTEMIQ and partners invite you to consider how a European agriculture system that is 75% nature positive by 2030 could benefit farmers, consumers, climate and nature. What would it take to get there? This session opens up a discussion on the challenges and critical interventions to shift the system, and invites reactions from across the European food and farming landscape.

Read blog here.

Download presentation here.

European agriculture is at a crossroads. The Green Deal, 2030 climate plan, Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies, as well as the proposed reform of the Common Agriculture Policy, have all contributed to defining the ambition, and even several elements of the delivery, of a more sustainable farming system in Europe. Arguably, however, this has not yet developed into a coherent or holistic approach necessary to command broad support from political and civil society leaders. Furthermore, private sector commitment will be essential both to align on the ambition and drive its delivery.

A growing number of companies are making commitments to models of agriculture that aim to reduce emissions, regenerate soil and promote biodiversity – summarised as ‘nature positive agriculture’.

With that in mind, SYSTEMIQ and partners including the One Planet Business for Biodiversity and IUCN are organising a ‘fishbowl event’ on what it would take to make 75% of European agriculture nature positive by 2030 and put in place the technical, financial and commercial building blocks to facilitate that transition. The purpose of this round table will be to invite reactions to the proposal, and discuss what it will take to achieve.

Confirmed speakers (in alphabetical order)

Rupert Simons image
Rupert Simons

Director for the EU Food and Land Use Action Platform

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Director for the EU Food and Land Use Action Platform

Rupert is a Senior Project Manager in the SYSTEMIQ London office and leads SYSTEMIQ’s work on regenerative agriculture, soil and biodiversity in Europe. Rupert has a background in strategy consulting with McKinsey and economic development. From 2015 and 2018 he was CEO of Publish What You Fund, an aid transparency campaign, which gave him extensive experience of influencing and working with the European Commission and member states including the governments of France and Germany. From 2011 to 2014 that he was senior advisor to the President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, and a founding staff member of Ethiopia’s Agricultural Transformation Agency. Prior to that, Rupert was an engagement manager and sustainability fellow with McKinsey in London.
Heike Zeller image
Heike Zeller

Consulting group aHEU Regionale Vermarktungsstrategien (Moderator)

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Consulting group aHEU Regionale Vermarktungsstrategien (Moderator)

Heike Zeller knows the value chain from farm to table. With her company aHEU, she advises agricultural and food enterprises in particular on marketing and sales. At events she shares her knowledge in the different roles of speaker, trainer and host. Heike loves bringing things together: products and customers, information and wanna knows, people from A and Z. Before becoming an entrepreneur, she was working in academic research, food retailing and in mountain agriculture, as a qualified business economist and a qualified sociologist. More information Facebook – aheu.blog Instagram – aheu.blog LinkedIn - heike-zeller

Agenda

Mar 10, 2021

10:30 - 12:00 (CET)

Wednesday, March 10, 2021 - 10:30 - 12:00 CET

10:30 - 12:00 (CET)

Racing to scale nature positive farming

  • Introduction by the moderator – Heike Zeller (5 mins)
  • Presentation of the vision by SYSTEMIQ – Rupert Simons (10mins)
  • Followed by a ‘goldfish bowl’ discussion (65mins)

Respondents

  • Luc Bas, Director, Europe Regional Office, IUCN
  • Mateusz Ciasnocha, Farmer; CEO, European Carbon Farmers; Regenerative Agriculture Fellow, COP26 – Climate Champions; Junior RIS Project Manager, EIT Food
  • David Cleary, Global Director for Agriculture, The Nature Conservancy
  • James Ede, Sustainability Manager – Europe, Middle East and Africa, Cargill Starches, Sweeteners & Texturizers
  • Florence Jeantet, Managing Director, OP2B
  • Petra Laux, Acting Chief Sustainability Officer, Syngenta Group and Head of EAME Business Sustainability, Syngenta
  • Christine Müller, Policy Officer, DG Climate Action, European Commission
  • Galina Peycheva-Miteva, Farmer, Financial Manager, Trakia-RM
  • Dr. Felix Prinz zu Löwenstein, President, German Federation of Organic Farmers, Food Processors and Retailers
  • Bas Rüter, Global Head Sustainability & Climate, Rabobank
  • Michael Scannell, Deputy Director-General, DG for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
  • David Wilkinson, Purchasing Director, PepsiCo

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