Assessing the financial value of biodiversity
CategoriesSustainable News

Assessing the financial value of biodiversity

Spotted: How much value does an animal species, such as a shark or a peregrine falcon, offer? And how can this value be expressed financially? We are not used to thinking in these terms, but these questions are extremely important if nature is to be effectively considered in important decisions – from business investments to urban planning. 

Estonian startup Endangered Wildlife OÜ is providing answers. The company has developed a new, multidisciplinary technique for providing credible and reliable financial values for biodiversity. This delivers a total conservation value for an individual species that is composed of a broad range of considerations, from carbon value and aesthetic value to species existence value, among others. And, crucially, this value is applied to species within a specific location. 

How these valuations are used depends on the needs of the organisation. But, to name one example, a municipality calculating the ROI of an investment in green space could add the financial value of the species supported by such a green space to other considerations, such as carbon sequestration.  

Another tangible example came in 2022, when Endangered Wildlife OÜ worked with non-profit organisation Shark Allies to calculate the financial value of wild, living sharks in the entertainment industry.  

Organisations receive biodiversity valuations through Endangered Wildlife OÜ’s consulting services. And, on top of this, the startup has been developing a machine learning software solution – called the Biodiversity Valuator – that is also used as a tool to calculate the financial value of biodiversity. 

Making sustainability measurable is a task innovators are solving in a variety of ways. Springwise has spotted a platform that helps investors monitor the sustainability of their investment portfolios and an SaaS system that helps organisations ensure traceability and compliance along the entire supply chain.

Written By: Matthew Hempstead

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Assessing the risk of frost for high-value crops
CategoriesSustainable News

Assessing the risk of frost for high-value crops

Spotted: Research has shown that frost is a “significant weather event” that has a direct impact on crop growth, which, in turn, has a substantial impact on yield and profits. However, it can be more difficult to predict frost than some other weather phenomenon, such as rain, due to the effects of microclimates and local terrain. Uruguayan company The Climate Box has developed a product that assesses the risk of frost for orchards and vineyards and can tailor passive and active frost protection measures for individual microclimates.

The system uses temperature data loggers placed at strategic locations around a farm. Following a calibration period, Climate Box utilises algorithms that take local topography into account to develop a model of the frost risk for each microclimate.

Using the numerical modelling of cold air flows, the company then offers actionable products for agriculturalists, such as microclimatic maps and frost risk assessments. The data is also used to generate recommendations for siting new farms, and potential frost control measures. Founded in 2019, the company has already analysed more than 60,000 hectares of land across Europe, the US, Mexico, Australia, and Uruguay.

The Climate Box recently closed an investment round led by The Yield Lab Latam, with the participation of the Spanish agribusiness investment group Label Investments and another angel investor.

Managing food production in the face of growing climate uncertainty and changing weather patterns is vital – and getting harder. This is why Springwise has spotted a growing number of solutions. Recent innovations in this sector range from the use of vertical farming to produce more crops, to boosting yields through the use of plant hormones that reduce stress.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference