Defining 'Robust Environmental Schemes' - private and public - for the WWF Basket Metric

WWF-UK are interested in the criteria for defining the "Robust Environmental Schemes" used in the WWF Basket Metric within a UK context.

The goal is to enable retailers and food service businesses to measure and report the proportion of their UK sourced food stemming from supply chains/producers participating in "Robust Environmental Schemes". Robust environmental schemes is the proxy in the WWF Basket Metric for the conservation of biodiversity and soil health in their food. This project will define what combinations of private and public schemes relating to food production are 'environmentally robust' and provide a tool for ongoing assessment of such schemes. By aggregating farm-level data on scheme participation through the supply chain, businesses will be able to set out the how much of the food they buy/sell robustly contributes to biodiversity and soil health goals. It will also contribute to the definition of environmental aspects of 'better meat'.

The core of this consultancy will therefore be:

To define "Robust Environmental Schemes": the environmental outcomes that farm schemes need to specify and assure in order to be considered, wholly or in part, a "Robust Environmental Scheme".

To assess the degree to which existing agricultural certification and incentive schemes assure the delivery of environmental outcomes, especially for biodiversity and soil health, with reference to the Robust Environmental Scheme definition.

To generate a tool demonstrating the assessment above for ongoing use, development and review.

To set out the means for identification of the amount of food production that comes from farms meeting the definition of being in 'Robust Environmental Schemes', such that they themselves and/or food businesses can report this.

To generate outputs tailored to the audiences relevant to the project.

Please read attached word document for further information.

Commissioned by: WWF-UK, Living Planet Centre, Brewery Road, Woking, GU21 4LL

Contact person: Tom Stuart tstuart@wwf.org.uk