Hållbarhetscertifieringars potential att gynna biologisk mångfald

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study is to investigate how and to what extent four different sustainability certifications set standards for conserving or promoting biodiversity. This is of importance since there are a large number of certifications of different kinds on the market and as a consumer it can be difficult to navigate among these. How these certifications favor biodiversity is important to investigate since we currently are in a state where biodiversity is declining at a fast rate, and a large contributing factor to this decline is agriculture and forestry. The criteria set by the Swedish certifications KRAV, Svenskt Sigill, Bra miljöval and Svanen was compared to a benchmark standard for biodiversity, developed by Englund and Berndes (2016) from principles set by the Society for Conservation Biology for conserving and restoring biodiversity. The results from this comparison, how well the certifications score in the potential of conserving or benefitting biodiversity, are then discussed in relation to a growing world and what role sustainability certifications play in this. The study found that the certifications had criteria that benefit biodiversity, although these could be improved. This was especially true in areas considering introducing new land to agriculture or forestry, but also considering tillage. Finally, the results show little to no criteria for producers to spread awareness of the certification, which could be of significance for consumer behavior and thus the extent to which the certification has potential to act in favor of biodiversity.