BioDiversity Add-on: Promoting biodiversity in conventional agriculture
Biodiversity and agriculture
Biodiversity – the huge variety of life on earth, encompassing animals, plants, bacteria, and
fungi – is one of the world’s most precious resources. Protecting biodiversity has become one of
the most important challenges facing the agricultural sector and food supply chains.
The BioDiversity add-on
The BioDiversity add-on lays out a set of rules, principles, and criteria, which help producers
to demonstrate their biodiversity management practices. Retailers and traders can ask suppliers to
undergo a BioDiversity add-on audit in order to fulfill their corporate social responsibility
pledges.
The wide range of audit criteria in the BioDiversity add-on includes:
- The farm’s biodiversity action plan
- Access to training, knowledge sharing, and farm-specific biodiversity advice
- Off-farm synergies
- Areas dedicated to biodiversity
- Protection and restoration measures
- Integrated pest management
- Soil and nutrient management plan
- Wastewater management and protection of water sources
Supply chain requirements for add-on implementation may vary. In the first year, producers are
required to establish a biodiversity action plan detailing measures to be implemented over a given
timeframe.
The add-on audit is usually conducted together with the audit for the Integrated Farm Assurance
(IFA) standard for crops (v5.2 or v5.4-1-GFS). The audit duration is foreseen to be similar to
SPRING. Producers who comply with 100% of the Major Must and critical criteria and at least 75% of
the Minor Musts will receive a letter of conformance which is visible in the GLOBALG.A.P. IT
systems.
Version 1 of the GLOBALG.A.P. BioDiversity add-on will be launched and made available to the
public in April 2022 and will currently only be available for fruit and vegetable producers in the
European Economic Area. Certification bodies (CBs) can access the documents for internal training
via the GLOBALG.A.P. website from February 2022.
Technical development
The BioDiversity add-on version 1 was created by the GLOBALG.A.P. Standards & Technical team
and a multi-stakeholder project team on the initiative of the German retailer Lidl. The project
harnessed a wide range of industry perspectives: Sustainable Food Systems GmbH (SFS), the Global
Nature Fund, Bioland, suppliers and producers across Europe, and the Nürtingen-Geislingen
University.
Version 1 of the BioDiversity add-on has been developed as a prototype and therefore did not go
through the normal GLOBALG.A.P. governance processes. In this respect, the development process is
similar to that of other GLOBALG.A.P. add-ons, such as GRASP and SPRING, which were originally
developed on the initiative of a GLOBALG.A.P. Community Member. A technical update of version 1
will be released by the end of 2022 to align the checklist with IFA v6.
Version 2 of the BioDiversity add-on will be developed in 2023 according to the normal
GLOBALG.A.P. governance processes and taking into account the learnings from version 1.
BioDiversity add-on fees
The fees for the BioDiversity add-on are similar to those of other add-ons.
BioDiversity add-on fees for CBs:
CB license fee (scope extension): €500 per year
CB IHT training: €250 per training day per person
BioDiversity add-on annual fees for producers:
Option 1 – €30
Option 2 – €250 per group + €5 per producer group member
FAQ
Can the share of organic production be counted towards areas dedicated to biodiversity?
No, not per se. What is decisive is whether the area represents a true contribution to
biodiversity as described in the guidance documents. If the production area for organic products
meets the description, it can be counted.
See
the BioDiversity v1.0 guidance document pages 17-19
Can the required 3% of the total agricultural business area dedicated to biodiversity be located outside of the production area?
Yes, the areas can be outside of the production area and within the legal farm area, i.e., the
total area of the farm. If the producer cannot comply with this requirement (CP 7.1.1), and all
possible measures to establish areas dedicated to biodiversity have been exhausted within the scope
of the farm, the biodiversity action plan (BAP) shall indicate this and biodiversity compensation
areas shall be sought (see CP 7.1.3).
How can linear meters be converted into hectares to indicate areas dedicated to biodiversity?
Most linear landscape features have a width. For example, hedges tend to be at least half a
meter wide. In such cases, you should multiply the length and the width of these elements. In other
cases, we recommend that producers make an estimation.
What type of training does the BioDiversity representative need to complete?
The requirements for training are intentionally not prescriptive. No specific training is
required, e.g., by a certification body (CB). However, it is necessary to explain what type of
training was completed, e.g., training through a local network or national project. This enables
the sharing of experiences and the multiplication of best practices on how to enhance biodiversity
potential.
Which areas have (high) conservation value (ref. CP 8.1.5)?
Such areas are not clearly defined. For this add-on and in the context of Europe, it is
recommended to use areas under the Natura 2000 Network as a starting point. […] The concept of high
conservation value areas (HCVA) largely finds application in a global context. HCVA are defined as
natural habitats where ecological values are considered to be of outstanding significance or
critical importance for species diversity, landscapes, ecosystems, habitats, ecosystem services,
community needs, and cultural values. In the EU, a similar concept has been developed that is
directly related to farming, known as high nature value farmland (HNVF) or areas. The goal is to
maintain a high level of biodiversity. […]
See
the BioDiversity v1.0 guidance document
What is the process for receiving permission to use neonicotinoids?
The use of neonicotinoids is generally not permitted by the BioDiversity add-on. However, in
extreme emergency cases, such as the risk of complete crop loss, approval for the emergency use of
acetamiprid shall be granted by the certification body (CB) prior to use. Permission shall be
sought from the CB prior to the application of acetamiprid and, if granted, shall be considered
valid for the whole season.
What is the definition of an “extreme emergency case” for the application of neonicotinoids?
The producer must demonstrate to the certification body (CB) that, e.g., a total crop loss would
occur if acetamiprid is not applied. If the CB does not answer in due time, evidence of a formal
request is considered sufficient.
How can targets be set in the BAP if the producer’s knowledge of a specific topic is considered insufficient?
Biodiversity is based on complex processes that happen over time in various spatial dimensions
and are knowledge intensive. This requires knowledge and good spatial and temporal planning.
Therefore, the add-on introduces tools, e.g., the self-assessment and the BAP, that support
producers in tackling the aspects of time and space, while the requirements provide input on topics
relevant to biodiversity. Planning with a BAP helps to ensure ongoing operational processes without
compromising on economic continuity.
See
the BioDiversity v1.0 guidance document and the
control points on advice and
training (CPs 4 and 5)
GLOBALG.A.P. views this rollout phase as a learning curve that will help us all to understand
both from where existing knowledge has been gained, and how GLOBALG.A.P. can support the sharing of
experience and help users connect with each other.
What are alien invasive species? Only those that are actively protected against, or also others?
This control point requires knowledge and awareness, but not action at this point. However, it
aims to address more than the relevance of an invasive pest for agricultural production and to also
consider biodiversity.
Are ditches considered water bodies, and is a five-meter buffer zone therefore required between them and the production area?
In the current version, the BioDiversity add-on only focuses on permanent water bodies.
What rules apply if a producer buys additional products from a producer with Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) certification but without a BioDiversity add-on letter of conformance?
Parallel ownership is not allowed in the context of the BioDiversity add-on. The legal entity
that is registered for the add-on shall not buy products originating from production processes that
are IFA certified but not audited to the BioDiversity add-on.
For Option 2 producer groups and Option 1 multisite producers, do all producer group members/production sites need to be audited?
The relevant rule (BioDiversity general rules specifications version 1, 5.1 a) has been amended,
allowing Option 2 producer groups and Option 1 multisite producers to split. This means that not
all producer group members and/or production sites need to participate in the add-on audit. The
individual GLOBALG.A.P. Numbers (GGNs) are listed on the producer group’s certificate and it is the
buyer’s responsibility to follow-up on those individual GGNs.
The same rule is planned for version 1.1 of the BioDiversity add-on, allowing producer groups
and Option 1 multisite producers to split and not requiring all producer group members to
participate in the add-on audit.
For the upcoming version 1.1, the plan is to set an increase rate that determines how many
producer group members should be added to the audited producer group each year. This rate will be
set in consultation with GLOBALG.A.P. stakeholders and project partners and communicated as soon as
possible.
