Issue 1.17 / March 2017
In the Spotlight

TEEB for Agriculture and Food ( TEEBAgriFood ) aims to valuate ecosystems and agricultural industries as a whole. Leaders of the project work to capture economic value by introducing mechanisms that incentivize environmental stewardship. These components of food systems are often assessed in isolation from one another, despite their many and vital links, TEEB refers to this as the eco-agri-food system's complex. 
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The  United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD),    UN Environment TEEB Office and the  Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD) have recently finished a project on Advancing Natural Capital Accounting (ANCA) funded by the  Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation . (NORAD).  The project has reviewed data availability and measurement practices and develop plans for Advancing Ecosystem Accounting in six pilot countries: Bhutan, Chile, Indonesia, Mauritius, Mexico and Vietnam. 
[  read more ]

TEEB National Studies
TEEB, with the support of the European Commission and SwedBio,  organised an international workshop in Cancún, Mexico in the margins of the CBD COP 13. Government representatives and academics from  Bhutan , Brazil, China,  Ecuador , India,  Liberia , Mexico,  Philippines , and  Tanzania  shared experiences and preliminary TEEB Country results with colleagues and the international community. 

The project ' Mainstreaming Biodiversity into Agriculture in Mexico' seeks the integration of the value of biodiversity and ecosystem services into decision-making/planning instruments of key public and private actors in the Mexican agricultural sector. [read more]
TEEBAgriFood

Food systems are undermining human health all over the world, by permitting, or even promoting, inappropriate diets or unsafe foods. F or sustain abl e, equitab le n utri tio n w e m ust coun t the tru e gl obal costs an d ben efits  of f ood pr odu ctio n, urge Pavan Sukhdev, Peter May and Alexander Müller in an article published but the scientific journal Nature. 
 
The first TEEBAgriFood writers' workshop to develop the 'Scientific and Economic Foundations Report' was hosted by the UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) in Cambridge (UK). The workshop brought together a core team of 35 experts and researchers working on issues related to the economic interdependencies between ecological, agricultural and human systems. 
[  read more ]
#ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)

As we move into 2017, the world needs nature more than ever. And while the challenges facing our planet are great, momentum is building toward a sustainable future. Last year, the world took giant steps in moving the Sustainable Development Goals, Paris Agreement and 2015's other historic agreements into action, and the IUCN Congress was a big part of it. Now it's time to get to work! 
[  read more ]
Currently, the price of food does not reflect the full costs and benefits associated with different farming system. To address this problem, Dr Harpinder Sandhu, of Flinders University, South Australia, has developed a new assessment tool which identifies, quantifies and monetises these costs. 
[  read more ]

 
The 2016 NCA workstream final report on 'Net Impact' was launched at the B@B Annual Conference. The document provides an overview of the concept of 'Net Impact' and explains its extensive links with NCA and wider sustainability concepts such as the circular economy and green infrastructure. 
[  read more ]

Nature is perceived and valued in starkly different and often conflicting ways. This article is developed within the context of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). It presents the rationale for the inclusive valuation of nature's contributions to people (NCP) in decision making, as well as broad methodological steps for doing so.  [ continue reading ]
Upcoming Events
PAGE Ministerial Conference 2017
Berlin, Germany (27-28 March)
The Partnership for Action on Green Economy Ministerial Conference will bring together leaders from governments, civil society, private sector, development partners, media and the public to explore how our economies and financial markets can be "enablers" for the SDGs  and the Paris Agreement.  [  read more ]
* IPBES Fifth Plenary, Bonn, Germany (6-9 March) 
*  Earth Observation for Ecosystem Accounting workshop , Copenhagen, Denmark (27-29 March) 
Publications
Underpinned by an overview of efforts to protect and improve seed systems written by agricultural biodiversity researchers Emile Frison and Toby Hodgkin, the compendium includes commentaries from a diverse range of experts, including farmers, community activists, business representatives, researchers, and scientists .   [read the compendium]
Protected Planet Report
How protected areas contribute to achieving
global targets for biodiversity

The Protected Planet Report assesses how protected areas contribute to achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and relevant targets of the Sustainable Development Goals, and highlights current research and case studies as examples of the role protected areas play in conserving biodiversity and cultural heritage. 
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read the report
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Job Opportunities

The TEEBrief newsletter, published every two months, aims to inform the TEEB Community about news, events, publications, multimedia and more related to  The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity . 

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TEEBrief is brought to you by the UN Environment TEEB Office in Geneva, Switzerland