Global conglomerate Unilever has partnered with UK nature intelligence firm NatureMetrics to harness environmental DNA (eDNA) technologies in a bid to drive regenerative farming practices across its supply chain.
NatureMetrics will provide eDNA sampling technology to measure changes in bacterial and fungal diversity in soil, as well as insect diversity, across thousands of hectares in four key locations of Unilever’s supply chain in Argentina, Canada, the UK, and Europe.
The data gathered, along with other biodiversity metrics, will inform the assessment of the impact of regenerative farming practices implemented by one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies.
“[We] will support Unilever and its implementation partners across a five-year period to collect the best possible data, interpret the data, and understand which practices they need to roll out at a greater scale to deliver the most impact longer term,” NatureMetrics stated.
Unilever operates on approximately 4 million ha of land to cultivate raw materials used in its products. In 2022, the company launched its regenerative agriculture programme and in the same year unveiled its plan to invest €100 mln in a €1 billion regenerative agriculture fund to be managed by France-based Tikehau Capital.
It was also among the companies that developed the Regenerating Together framework in 2023, an initiative backed by 170 global food and beverage companies and farmer cooperatives designed to implement regenerative agriculture practices worldwide.
The use of eDNA is increasingly promoted as a non-invasive way to measure biodiversity uplifts by analysing DNA samples from the environment, allowing detection of a wide range of organisms without direct observation or disturbance.
NatureMetrics’ technology enables companies to identify wildlife species living in a specific site, as well as trace biodiversity changes over time, helping them reduce their nature-related risks and leverage data for sustainable decision-making.
“Data we capture using our technology are a common language multiple stakeholders across a supply chain can use,” Tom Ludwig, head of onshore industries at NatureMetrics, said.
“It will not only support Unilever’s regenerative agriculture programme at a high level, but also empower its suppliers, implementation partners, and farmers with critical information at a farm level.”
Joe Huddart, biodiversity solutions engineer at NatureMetrics, told a webinar last week that the ability to have more people involved in collecting samples of water, soil, and air opens up “extraordinary” opportunities for nature monitoring.
By Giada Ferraglioni – giada@carbon-pulse.com
** Click here to sign up to our twice-weekly biodiversity newsletter **
