…through ecosystem disruption
Company operations and agricultural activities are impinging upon fragile ecosystems, some of which have high conservation value. Over-abstraction of water, soil salinisation from irrigation in arid regions, fertiliser run-off and industrial leaching of toxins contribute to biodiversity loss and ecosystem instabilities. Ecosystem disruption from agricultural activities can harm brand reputation and lead to decreased marketability of products.
…through the expansion of business operations which often depends on the use of abandoned and degraded land or on the conversion of natural and semi-natural habitats
While there are large areas of abandoned and degraded land available for business expansion, large amounts of high-quality land are often converted for agricultural, residential or industrial purposes; this results in losses of land availability or fragmentation of habitats and species. The complexities of converting poor-quality land into high-quality arable land are significant and would incur substantial business costs.
