Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

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Ms. Marion Hammerl

Member since
Organization: Global Nature Fund; Food for Biodiversity
Country: Germany
Field(s) of expertise:
I am working on:
Food for Biodiversity: Basic Set of Biodiversity Criteria for food standards and companies with own sourcing rules; Incentive schemes of companies to support farmers; monitoring of biodiversity in the food sector; training for product and quality managers and procurement managers of food companies; ISO Guidelines "Biodiversity in the Food Sector" within ISO 331 Biodiversity ... and others

Marion Hammerl is an Economist and worked for more than 15 years in marketing and promotion in the industry sector. From 1985 to 1997 she was living and working in Spain and co-founder of various Spanish environmental organizations – one of them the Fundación Global Nature España, a nationally wide active NGO. From 1997 to 2015 she was President of Fundación Global Nature (honoray position) and currently she is member of the board.

From 1998 to 2022 she was the Managing Director of Lake Constance Foundation (LCF) and coordinator of numerous EU-supported projects. Within others, Marion Hammerl is specialized in sustainable tourism development, land use planning, sustainability management for local authorities, environmental management systems, management of water resources and the integration of biodiversity into labels and standards for the economic sector. Currently she supports LCF as Senior Expert.

She is one of the co-founders of the Global Nature Fund (GNF) and the international Living Lakes Network. Since summer 2002 she is the President of GNF (honorary position). She is member of the board of directors of Ecotrans – Expert Network for Sustainable Tourism, Ecocamping – Environmental Management for camping sites. Furthermore she is part of the Board of Directors in Fairtrade Germany and of the sector initiative “Food for Biodiversity”. The association aims for an improvement of the biodiversity performance of the food sector.

Marion Hammerl is author of numerous guidelines and reports focusing on environmental management systems, sustainable tourism development, sustainable food production, management of lake areas and water resources, biodiversity in the food sector and other business and biodiversity topics. She represents NGOs in various EU working groups.

Marion Hammerl was awarded with prestigious awards because of her voluntary engagement towards protection of nature, e.g. the German and international Tropheé de Femmes Award of the Yves Rocher Foundation (2009), the International Tropheé de Femmes Award (2011), Goldene Bild der Frau Award (2010) and Bruno H. Schubert Award in 2012. In June 2012, Marion Hammerl received the medal of merits of the German Federal Republic from the President of Germany because of her merits in nature protection.  
 

This member contributed to:

    • Theory of change:

      In general, the barriers identified reflect well the current situation and challenges. According to our experience, one additional barrier is the lack of awareness of consumers in developed countries and emerging markets. Even if the purchasing power is middle or high, low prices are the most important driver for decision making. This is enhanced by marketing /promotion of the food companies: images of products from a intact world and happy animals - for the lowest price. Only about 10 % of consumers are not only confirming to be willing to pay more - but also paying a fair price. This is not enough. Legislation on verification of "green claims" and legislation against price dumping below production costs is needed to change the perception and the real behaviour of consumers.

      Role of stakeholders:

      Governments need to implement and monitor legislation leading to increase the price of unsustainable produced products and to an equal playing field to make sustainable produced products competitive and unsustainable products unprofitable, e.g. via taxes.

      Governments in cooperation with food business associations should develop credible information sources, e.g. databases with primary data on sustainability aspects in the most important sourcing regions, e.g. risks of de-forestation, degradation of other ecosystems, situation of water sources etc. These information sources should be available for all companies of the food sector.

      Governments should include sound sustainability criteria in their agreements on biotic raw material with other states. Governments at all levels should consequently implement Sustainable Public Produrement Rules.

      Companies of the food sector need to consider biodiversity and climate protection as quality elements of agricultural production /products and request both in their supply rules. Food standards should have sound criteria on biodiversity and climate mitigation. Companies should have attractive incentives for farmers which go beyong legislation in sustainability aspects - especially for smallholder farmers: incentives covering additional costs for sound ecological and social standards and recognizing the added value of products.

      Food companies need also to support awareness raising and education of consumers. Currently they are suggesting to consumers that products come from an intact world with happy farmers and for a low price. And consumers are egoistic and happy to believe these messages.

      Standards and food companies should be obliged to realize monitoring of sustainability aspects of certified farms /producers in the supply chains using harmonized monitorig approaches. Results should be published and companies failing to proof continuous improvements should have disadvantages.

      Governments, standards and companies should agree on an international agreed definition and framework for regenerative agriculture to make sure that regenerative agriculture will not be used as un unfair competition against sustainable forms of agriculture (e.g. agroecology, organic agriculture).

      Draft Results Framework

      Examples of types of intervention and outputs:
      Project "Del Campo al Plato" to improve biodiversity protection in the production of banana and of pineapple. The Biodiversity Check Agrícola was elaborated and implemented (currently arround 150 plantations) in order to determine the current situation on the plantation, identify need and potential for improvement and recommend measures for continuos improvements. These components are an important input for sound biodiversity action plans for the plantations. Biodiversity Check Agrícola Convoy is adapted to small holder cooperatives to elaborate a Biodiversity Action Plan on landscape level.The tool proofed to improve considerably biodiversity protection on banana and on pineapple plantations and can be adapted to other products and other tropical regions. The BCA was developed by GNF and GIZ Germany. https://www.delcampoalplato.com/en/home-engl/

      A similar tool based on the Biodiversity Performance Tool was developed for coffee production in South America = Biodiversity Performance Tool Café. The content and process is the same: Baseline description and evaluation, proposals for measures, Biodiversity Action Plan and monitoring of implementation of the BAP. The BPT Convoy is applied to cooperatives of smallholder coffee producers. The BPT Café was developed by GNF, Fundación Humedales, Rainforest Alliance and 4C Coffee Standard. Currently it is also applied by smallholder cooperatives in Vietnam.

      GNF supported the development of the Global G.A.P. Biodiversity Add-on Standard which is currently to most advanced standard regarding biodiversity protection. Currently the standard is only applicable for vegetable and fruit producers in Europe, but Global G.A.P. plans to extend the standard to all commodities and all regions.

      Successful examples of public-private partnerships for food systems transformation

      The project Del Campo al Plato includes various successful examples of public private partnerships between German Development Agency GIZ and pineapple producers (e.g. Nicofruta) and banana producers (Banelino, Dole). Main objective of the partnerships is the improvement of biodiversity management and protection and full integration into the management practises of the producers.   
      Research gaps or innovations on food systems transformation for global environmental and climate benefits

      Information sources /primary data on environmental aspects - specially biodiversity - in the sourcing regions is missing and needed for food companies to take appropriate decisions regarding their supply chains. This information sources are of special importance for SMEs in the food sector which do not have the resources for own studies etc. The database on sourcing regions should also include more sustainable alternatives to source agricultural goods.

      Furthermore, a harmonized biodiversity monitoring framework for the food sector would be needed - as credible basis for reporting duties and to allow comparision of supply chains and companies.