ForumforAg Food Systems Podcast Summary

In this episode we talk with Stefania Avanzini, Director of One Planet Business for Biodiversity (OP2B), an action-oriented business coalition for the protection and restoration of biodiversity within the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Stefania discusses OP2B’s mission to transform agriculture by enhancing soil health, promoting biodiversity, and advancing sustainable farming practices. She highlights the need for collaboration between agribusinesses, governments, and farmers to scale these efforts, emphasizing that while significant investments have been made, more unified action and political support are essential for achieving large-scale impact.

Here is a summary of the conversation.

What are you trying to achieve with OP2B and how are you going about it?

Five years ago a group of forward-looking CEOs from active agribusinesses founded OP2B. We have 25 members, with a role to contribute to transforming agricultural models and bring back nature and soil health. Our members have committed to transform 12.5 million hectares of farmland by 2030 – in Europe, that is 15% of agricultural land. Since 2019 they have invested €3.6 billion in supporting farmers to transition towards more regenerative and sustainable farming practices.

Where are we today in the journey to transform the agrifood system? What do we need to do collectively, perhaps to accelerate?

It is critical that we have some alignment on our North Star, even if we are using different terminology. There is a strong consensus on the concrete impacts we need to measure and reward at farm level. We agree the transition has to be a holistic one, centred on farmers and incentivizing them. We agree that restoring our natural ecology, with a strong focus on soil health, on water, is key.

But the consensus is still a very small group of people: we need to spread the alignment – and create a compelling and positive narrative to engage the whole sector. We don’t have one simple narrative.

Given that, how much progress are we making in engaging farmers to see the profitability for themselves in the transformation?

There is a discourse, but we are not doing enough to engage coalitions of farmers willing to partner. The good news is more and more farmers understand the impacts of climate change and why it is important for them to invest because our food system is not fit for the future.

The question is, how do we shift that investment? The actors in the value chain understand farmers can’t bear the risks alone. One of the main topics we discuss, also with financial actors, is what is the role of each of us in sharing the costs and risk of transition.

I’m optimistic we can find a way to make the transition financially viable for farmers. Looking ahead, what gives you most cause for concern and what are your reasons to be optimistic?

The big concern is that agriculture is a highly fragmented sector. Radical collaboration is needed to achieve transformation at scale. What worries me, is that we need political willingness to drive the transition at the scale and pace needed.

I’m encouraged that the private sector is ripe for the transition and has understood the need. Many agribusinesses are unlocking and investing in the resilience of their supply chains. And a lot of farmers have been doing that for decades.

All actors need to come to the table to unlock larger scale funding – landscape-level investments, instead of demos and pilots. That is how we can move from scattered, disjointed incentives to a comprehensive, joined-up  package for farmers.

The money is there, but how do we unlock it? We’re in a run of big international summits. What are your takeaways, and how important are these events in galvanizing action?

A major milestone was the Emirates Declaration, which was an important acknowledgement from many countries that agrifood systems transformation is on the agenda.  But we are still lacking political momentum and even private sector leadership when it comes to putting a lot of new money on the table. We need that strong willingness to scale up.

The investment case for all investors, public and private, needs to become clearer. Why are we investing in transitioning agrifood systems? There is evidence of benefits for farmers and benefits for increased resilience in supply chains – but this needs to be heard more loudly. Nature has to be put on the balance sheet for companies as a valuable asset. That is lacking and it is a bottleneck.

It’s has been a year of political change, we’ve got political uncertainty in Member States. How do the political changes taking place ey impact on agrifood transformation? And what is your message to governments about their role in helping to drive it forward?

It is a cause of concern. Agriculture is highly specialised, highly fragmented and highly interdependent between sectors – we’re dependent on the free flow of goods –  and countries. Political willingness and influence is crucial to achieve transformation.

It’s easier in Europe, thanks to our EU model. Globally, transforming agricultural models and incentives affects competitiveness. There will be bottlenecks unless we can achieve radical collaboration and cooperation.

If you have found this short summary interesting, there’s lots more to hear in the full 20-minute conversation. It is available now on iTunes, Podbean or Spotify or on this website.