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Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are becoming central to the reimagining of food and agricultural systems. IUCN is responsible for the Global Standard for NBS and works to ensure its effective implementation.

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The IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions (NbS)

The IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions (NbS) is a comprehensive framework launched in 2020 that provides eight criteria and 28 associated indicators to assess, design, and scale NbS projects. Developed by IUCN through a global consultation process, the standard helps ensure NbS initiatives are environmentally sustainable, socially equitable, economically viable, and adaptive, thereby improving their effectiveness, building credibility with investors and donors, and connecting them to international goals. Applying NbS to agricultural contexts offers great potential for achieving the systemic transformation of food systems, as it requires a holistic view of the whole system, as set out in the eight NbS criteria.

 

 The eight criteria are:
1Identify the societal challenge: Clearly define the societal problem the NbS aims to address
2Design at scale: Ensure the solution is designed to be effective at the appropriate scale and over the necessary timeframes
3Ensure environmental sustainability: Guarantee that the project leads to biodiversity gains and maintains ecosystem integrity
4Ensure economic viability: Demonstrate that the NbS is economically feasible
5Ensure social equity: Guarantee that the project considers human rights, gender equity, and social justice
6Balance trade-offs: Identify and balance potential trade-offs between short- and long-term benefits and different stakeholder needs
7Promote adaptive management: Build in flexibility and learning to adapt to changing conditions and new information
8Mainstream NbS: Integrate NbS into broader policy and decision-making processes

Sustainable agriculture and  Nature-based Solutions (NbS) 

How do we ensure that Nature-based Solutions really live up to their promise? The IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions guides users to design and implement NbS in a way that allows nature to deliver its valuable ecosystem services. In addition, the Global Standard sets clear benchmarks to measure the impact of NbS.

This IUCN publication focuses on the relationship between sustainable agricultural practices and the concept of Nature-based Solutions, and specifically the applicability of the IUCN Global Standard for NbS in agricultural contexts. Whilst there are many types of agriculture that describe themselves as sustainable – this report lists 14 – when judged on the IUCN NbS criteria only a small number meet all the requirements. 

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Publication 2020
IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions : first edition
The IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions lists the Criteria and Indicators, as adopted by the 98th Meeting of the IUCN Council in 2020.
Les Solutions fondées sur la Nature pour la sécurité alimentaire en France

This report from the IUCN French Committee looks at food system issues including quantity, nutritional and health quality, and supply stability, correlating these with environmental issues and adaptation to climate change, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Agriculture sectoral interpretation of the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions

The agriculture sectoral interpretation – which is currently being aligned with the revised IUCN Global Standard for NbS - aims to translate and support the application of the Standard in an agricultural context. The sectoral interpretation is intended to ensure that NbS interventions contribute to positive outcomes for biodiversity net gain and ecosystem integrity, to rehabilitating and restoring ecosystem services, make a clear contribution to improving food security and reducing malnutrition, contribute to preserving or improving human and animal health, deliver positive economic outcomes for farmers, and uphold the rights of farmers and Indigenous peoples, especially recognising their land rights and access to natural resources. 

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