The food and agriculture sector sits at the heart of some of the world’s most urgent sustainability challenges - from climate change and biodiversity loss to food insecurity and health crises.
Current practices are driving soil degradation, deforestation, high greenhouse gas emissions, and growing supply chain vulnerabilities.
For businesses, the transformation of this sector presents an opportunity to lead in nature-positive production, unlock resilient supply chains, develop regenerative value propositions, and shape consumer markets of the future.
Those who act can access emerging growth areas, secure long-term resource security, and meet rising expectations from policymakers, financiers, and consumers. Businesses that fail to adapt face escalating risks: policy disruption, stranded assets, supply chain shocks, reputational damage, and shrinking market relevance.
At CISL we aim to accelerate real-world transformation in the food, land and agriculture sector by connecting ambition with delivery by building enabling conditions, convening partnerships and empowering leaders to act.
What CISL is doing
Supporting leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs to build the capabilities and practical collaborations needed to act
Our online course, Sustainable Food: Production and Processing, helps leaders shape resilient food systems to equitably feed the growing global population in a challenging environment.
Our TNFD training materials, courses and education opportunities help boards, leadership teams and practitioners stay ahead on nature and the TNFD recommended disclosures.
We work with major corporations and financial institutions via our strategic advisory services, leadership groups and executive education to develop and embed nature strategies into industry sectors, business strategy and operations.
Working with business, finance and policymakers to shape enabling conditions
Our Corporate Leaders Groups have provided business voice to shape major agri-food legislation including CAP reform, Farm-to-Fork, and UK Agriculture & Environment Bills.
CLG Europe’s policy briefing, Towards a sustainable food future for Europe, explores how to make food systems in the EU more sustainable by looking at solutions from production to consumption and waste.
Our Centre for Sustainable Finance integrated nature-related financial risks into financial frameworks via the TNFD to help steer business and investment practices toward biodiversity-aligned risk management. This includes a use case on the impact on fertiliser company valuations in the context of EU policy that supports the transition to a sustainable and resilient food system.
Convening cross-sector partnerships to align ambition and develop direction of travel
CISL co-created a preparatory guide on nature for the agri-food sector with Asda and its suppliers - helping businesses align to the TNFD and SBTN indicators.
We led a multistakeholder project generating blueprints for land management that support improved biodiversity and water quality through more sustainable agriculture in the UK.
The Institute brought together supermarkets, NGOs and communities to research their role in local food insecurity.
Strengthening the wider ecosystem for sustainable innovation, including access to capital, networks and market insights
We published research demonstrating the opportunities for scaling up nature positive business and finance models to drive real action.
CISL’s Nature Positive Solutions Accelerator 2025 will empower startups working towards nature-positive solutions, providing them with the resources, mentorship, and partnerships needed to scale their impact.
