Financial markets have long treated the degradation of natural ecosystems as an externality. In the food sector, mainstream food production faces pressure to deliver product at the lowest unit cost and with little accounting for longer-term exposure related to habitat, biodiversity or other ecosystem impacts. As a result, companies have had little incentive to pay attention to the natural resource business risks embedded in their supply chains, to set more stringent purchasing standards, or to invest in shifting the practices of producers in their supply chains.
But today, food companies are increasingly aware that their access to natural resources, and their social license to exploit them, may be constrained. They recognize that investing in innovation to adapt can yield a competitive advantage. These companies have begun seeking better information to evaluate their risk exposure, as well as recognition and reward from the financial sector for leadership in more sustainable management.
Through mainstream financial markets, we aim to adjust the business incentives to build on this momentum and help link the food sector to production practices that conserve, rather than damage, natural ecosystems. In turn, we work to amplify and support the work within our seafood and agricultural markets initiatives. With the right market information and incentives in place, operating at the needed scale, we believe we can work to meet present and future food demand while averting deforestation, overfishing and other harmful impacts on natural ecosystems.
Please note that we do not accept unsolicited proposals. Because of our tightly-defined grantmaking strategies, many worthwhile projects fall outside the scope of our initiatives. However, if you have thoughts or inquiries related to our work that you would like to share, you may send us a brief, ~100-word email. Please understand that due to the volume of inquiries we receive, we are only able to commit to reviewing those inquiries that adhere to the ~100-word guideline.