NbI, in collaboration with Reckitt and ECOM, are working to provide a comprehensive multidimensional analysis of nature-related impacts, climate and nature risks, and opportunities for implementing nature-based solutions with integrity in cacao agricultural landscapes in Ecuador.
The first phase of this project involved carrying out an assessment to evaluate risk associated with biodiversity loss in the landscape, which provided valuable information to support sustainable cocoa production. Assessments were paired with research into deforestation and climate risks, as well as knowledge of farming densities and existing interventions like Rainforest Alliance certification rates. In this initial project phase, NbI helped to identify and evaluate potential biodiversity risks (ECOM’s Cocoa Sustainability Report, 2024).
For each area, NbI extracted geospatial data from a range of best-in-class global and local datasets to estimate:
These datasets allowed us to understand risks associated with protected area integrity, critical habitats, critical natural assets, key biodiversity areas and species richness.
The analysis allowed us to identify areas with high levels of biodiversity importance, with as much as 60% of the land being classed as Key Biodiversity Areas. Land protection varied, from 50% coverage in one area to just 3% in another.
Read the report here.
27 August 2024