I may not have a background in the food industry, but I do know business. And the best businesses are the ones that anticipate and respond to what their customers want. 

New research commissioned by Fair to Nature, a pioneering food and farming certification scheme supported by the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds), is a wake-up call for farmers, food and drink brands, and supermarkets. The recent Ipsos Mori survey shows that 70% of adults are concerned by nature loss and feel strongly about reversing its decline.

The BBC’s Wild Isles series alerted many of us to the perils faced by nature, but it’s important to note that this crisis is not confined to remote parts of the world; it is happening on our doorsteps. Take a walk through the countryside and you’ll see that wildlife populations are visibly in decline. Yet, startlingly, many people fail to grasp how the destruction of critical ecosystems directly impacts food production.

In the last 50 years, almost half of all wildlife species in the in the UK have declined. The stats make uncomfortable reading: 

• Since 1970, over half of our farmland birds have disappeared (58% – from the Farmland Bird Index) 
• Since 1970, 41% of species in the UK have declined (State of Nature Report 2019) 
• Since 1937, 97% of our wildflower meadows have disappeared. (Plantlife)
• Since 1976, 80% of butterfly species in the UK have decreased in either abundance, distribution or both (State of UK’s Butterflies 2022 report, Butterfly Conservation) 

Biodiversity loss gives rise to numerous concerns, but our reliance on nature for food cannot be overstated. Without our native ecosystems, there would be no food. As an investor, I understand that a company cannot thrive if the raw materials it relies on are no longer available.

With over two thirds of Britain’s land currently dedicated to farming and approximately 1 million of the worlds estimated 8 million species of plants and animals at risk of extinction, we must act now. So, how should the food supply chain respond?

The Fair to Nature food and farming certification scheme, managed by the RSPB, brings hope. It is the only certification scheme in the UK that focuses on biodiversity and aims to reverse the loss of nature, which is a major threat to our food supply. With consumer research highlighting the decline of UK wildlife as a key concern, this certification scheme not only enhances biodiversity but also increases consumer confidence.

Under the scheme, farmers make at least 10% of their farmed land available – including areas which are difficult to farm productively – for a range of high-quality nature habitats.

Food brands that buy ingredients from certified farms can display the recently launched RSPB Fair to Nature Mark, meaning consumers are provided with the reassurance they need that their choices are scientifically proven to reverse wildlife declines and deliver the highest level of biodiversity.

Even in the face of the cost-of-living crisis, business owners should recognise the importance of prioritising the environment alongside low prices. Customers today place a higher value on environmental credentials than ever before.

Establishing trust with an increasingly environmentally conscious market requires authenticity in sustainability claims. Navigating true sustainability may be challenging, but consumers can rely on the Fair to Nature standard. It is backed by scientific support and certified by the RSPB, ensuring its credibility.

Food businesses have a responsibility to lead the way in adopting the Fair to Nature certification to protect nature and promote biodiversity. By prominently featuring the Fair to Nature Mark on their packaging, they can offer consumers clear and relatable messages. This enables shoppers to make informed decisions and support products that contribute to preventing a future without food. That’s something we can all invest in.

Why Deborah supports the RSPB

“The RSPB plays an extremely important role in the understanding, protection and conservation of birds. By identifying the issues, protecting habitats and engaging with local and wider communities, the RSPB offers a platform where we can all do something to help our wildlife.

The best moments of my life have been when I have stood still amongst the natural world, listening and watching. I’ve watched the swallows swooping over our fields, dragonflies guarding their ponds and the whoosh of thousands of starlings flying overhead on their way back to roost. The natural world is wondrous, but instead of sharing her generosity we have taken too much for ourselves, allowing little room for our fellow creatures, plants and even the soils we grow food in. We take without giving back and at a pace the natural world simply can’t respond to. In destroying nature we ultimately destroy ourselves. We have an opportunity right now to change the way we live and to let nature repair at least some of the damage we have already done. But we need to change fast, before we pass the tipping-point and the natural world is damaged beyond repair.”

By Deborah Meaden