Changing the nature of business

Opportunities to Engage: Harnessing the Power of Markets for Conservation

Everything we consume, from food to fiber to plastic has an impact on nature. As our population and demands grow, business puts pressure on the environment. Unchecked, that pressure is destroying forests and grasslands, contributing to climate change, water scarcity, nature loss and pollution.

Nature loss is business critical. In the face of unprecedented loss of nature and the climate crisis, businesses face operational, regulatory, reputational, and market risks.

WWF is working to harness the power of markets to create opportunities for positive impact.

For more than a decade, WWF has helped pioneer public-private partnerships and fostered collaboration across industries to help shift commodity markets towards more sustainable practices up and down global supply chains and transforming the financial sector to mobilize investment in achieving conservation goals. Our goal is to protect the wild places and wildlife at the heart of our mission and create better opportunities for the people and communities who live and work closest to nature, all while keeping an eye on the bottom line.

Research and Thought Leadership

Markets Institute

The Markets Institute at WWF identifies global issues, trends, and tools around some of the most pressing challenges of our time, including the production of food in the 21st century. To create the change we need on the ground, we convene multi-stakeholder platforms to increase awareness and build consensus about these challenges. Working with partners from the private and public sectors, NGOs, and academic institutions, we strive to explore the science through research, identify and pilot on-the-ground solutions that anticipate issues or reduce impacts, share knowledge, and analyze innovative or industry-wide approaches that can translate into market-based, sector-wide solutions.
Making the Business Case

The Markets Institute at WWF develops business cases to demonstrate how financial and environmental interests align, enabling stakeholders to visualize how shifting towards sustainable practices can have a positive impact on their organizations. We are always on the lookout for new case ideas to highlight and show how companies can shift practices and think differently. Get in touch with ideas.

Minimize Your Footprint

Taking deforestation and conversion out of supply chains

Beef and soy production are two of the leading drivers of habitat loss for agricultural production, especially in South America. WWF has developed a Deforestation and Conversion Free (DCF) Implementation Toolkit to help companies move from commitemnt to action in alignment with the Accountability Framework. The Toolkit contains activities and materials for companies to achieve DCF supply chains for beef, soy, and leather rpoduced in the Amazon and Cerrado in Brazil, and the Gran Chaco in Argentina and Paraguay. Learn more about our work toward more sustainable food systems here.
Understanding and removing risk from illegality

Up to half of all globally traded food commodities are produced illegally or fail to comply with basic business standards in the country of origin. Climate change and depleting natural resources are increasing the incidence of illegality, resulting in more destruction of nature and harm to people. This new wave of illegality is exposing companies to public censure, consumer boycotts, investor action and raised cost of capital, litigation and even prosecution. Email [email protected] to get in touch.
Tackling supply chain emissions

For many sectors, the largest sources of a company's emissions lie upstream and/or downstream of their core operations in their value chain—these are known as Scope 3 emissions. We work with food and fiber companies and entire sectors to learn how to achieve emissions reductions more effectively for different crops and geographies by identifying the incentives that will help producers reduce their impacts more quickly. Learn more about setting Science based targets or email [email protected] to discuss.
Blueprint for future proofing shrimp supply chains

Globally, shrimp is the most valuable traded seafood by volume, representing $32 billion in annual trade. Farmed shrimp has the potential to sustainably support the growing global demand for animal protein by producing more with less. WWF has developed a Blueprint for Future Proofing Shrimp Supply Chains. This is a challenge to—and roadmap for—businesses that buy, sell, produce, or benefit from farmed shrimp to transform their industry.