Exploring new avenues for food and biomass value chains
Trade practices related to food and biomass are negatively impacting biodiversity. To change this, we must shift our behaviour. But how do we determine which actions will lead to positive change? The EU-funded RAINFOREST project, ongoing until February 2026, combined integrated assessment modelling, input-output modelling and life cycle assessment to explore the impact of possible interventions.
Scenario research centres justice
When enacting global transformation, it is important to evaluate how the burden of change will be distributed across different communities. Research shows that countries with a higher per-capita income are responsible for a greater amount of biodiversity loss. But the impact is often outsourced to other countries. As much as half of the biodiversity loss they are accountable for occurs outside the borders of wealthier nations. RAINFOREST used the AJUST(opens in new window) toolkit to help address justice considerations. As project coordinator Francesca Verones shares: “We don’t say, ‘this pathway is just; this one is unjust,’ but try to show how groups with different perspectives on justice might try to halt biodiversity loss in ways consistent with their worldviews. We hope this can be used as the basis for more granular scenario studies.”
A modelling toolbox for transformative change
RAINFOREST explored pathways to reduce biodiversity impacts of food and biomass value chains by combining environmental-economic models such as (GLOBIOM(opens in new window) with impact assessment models like (LC-IMPACT(opens in new window) in a publicly available toolkit. These tools are able to quantify several factors relevant to biodiversity, including climate, socio-economic responses and policy. Leveraging technology and modelling tools such as those in the RAINFOREST toolbox is essential to halting large scale biodiversity loss. “New technologies such as digital data collection and survey tools, remote sensing, blockchain and data analysis can serve as enablers of biodiversity-relevant sustainability transformations, which are complex, multi-faceted processes, involving long time frames and multiple actors,” explains Verones. On a smaller scale, RAINFOREST is developing a calculator to evaluate the environmental impact of food choices. The user inputs the ingredients for a specific recipe, and depending on location, the calculator will indicate the environmental impact of the dish.
Case studies around the world
The project tested its approach through seven case studies. These were located in diverse regions, including Brazil, Peru, the United States and multiple countries in Europe. In addition to varying in location, the case studies also represented a wide range of pathways, such as governance, consumer behaviour, production systems and investments. In Peru, life cycle analysis and biodiversity models were used to assess the impact of technological developments on biodiversity. Consumer behaviour and changes in food consumption were studied in the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. In Austria and Ireland, a case study evaluated policy strategies, while food chain governance between the EU and Brazil was studied in another. The investment case study examined financial portfolios with the aim of quantifying the biodiversity footprint of investments. Halting biodiversity loss caused by food and biomass value chains around the world is a massive undertaking. The modelling tools provided by RAINFOREST will help ensure we take the right steps moving forward.
