Mainstreaming Biodiversity into Spice Sector

12 Mar, 2019

GIZ in collaboration with CII-IBBI (Confederation of Indian Industry-India Business and Biodiversity Initiative) organised a two-day training programme on ‘Mainstreaming Biodiversity into Spice Sector’ on 11th and 12th March 2019 in Kochi, Kerala. The objective of the training was to introduce Ecosystem Service Matrix (ESM) to promote biodiversity-friendly production and commercialisation. The topics covered were identification of critical ecosystem services, mapping, impacts and dependency on ecosystem and ecosystem services and risks associated with business operations. Best practices were also showcased. Around 20 industrial participants representing spice sector companies were engaged in group exercises on using the ESM tool.

The training also featured an extensive discussion on the implications of the Biodiversity Act and Access Benefit Sharing Guidelines on Spice Sector Companies. The key takeaway of the training programme was that businesses need a Biodiversity Action Plan to integrate biodiversity into their existing process of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Sustainable Initiatives and Responsible sourcing code for achieving Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable utilisation of resources.