Accelerating Investment by Downstream Companies Towards Impact in Production Landscapes

Proforest Academy launches eLearning course for downstream companies on jurisdictional and landscape initiatives

Proforest has launched a new course on its free eLearning platform, Proforest Academy, designed to support downstream companies at the beginning of their journey to engage in agricultural commodity production landscapes: Accelerating Investment by Downstream Companies Towards Impact in Production Landscapes.

Over time it has become increasingly clear that companies involved in the production and sourcing of agricultural commodities need to work beyond their own supply chains to support positive outcomes for climate, people and nature where commodities are produced. Landscape and jurisdictional approaches offer an effective way for stakeholders to work collaboratively and at scale to deliver responsible sourcing commitments by addressing systemic issues and de-risking production landscapes.  

This course offers an overview of the different ways and benefits for downstream companies to work beyond supply chains, as well as an introduction to the process for them to engage in Landscape/Jurisdictional initiatives.  

The course is based on Proforest' experience and lessons learned throughout work within production landscapes. It is designed principally for downstream companies and can be used to support sustainability and procurement experts, or to engage other stakeholders across a business, as well as partner organisations involved.  

The course will provide companies with greater confidence in initiating the process to engage in landscape initiatives, and notably to: 

1. Recognise why and when downstream companies can benefit from working beyond supply chains, especially by engaging in Landscape/Jurisdictional initiatives 
2. Familiarise themselves with the prioritisation process for identifying where to engage in Landscape/Jurisdictional initiatives 
3. Become familiar with the overall process for starting engagement in Landscape/Jurisdictional initiatives 

The course is currently available in English, and it will be very soon available in Spanish and French. 

This course was developed as part of Proforest’s Production Landscape Program (PLP), with support from the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV). 

For companies that are working at a landscape level, The Landscape Reporting Framework was developed by Proforest and ISEAL at the joint request of PepsiCo, Nestlé and Unilever. The framework recognises that delivering landscape level outcomes is a journey that takes time and enables reporting on interventions and projects delivering these longer-term outcomes. The initial outline of the framework has been developed in consultation with the various landscape initiatives the companies are supporting and investing in.