Food and agriculture
Learn how legal contracts can help to reduce emissions and nature risks across food and agriculture
Transform our agrifood systems, one contract at a time
~30%
of global greenhouse gas emissions come from agrifood systems.
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
$10 trillion
worth of economic benefits a year, for transforming global agrifood systems.
Source: Food System Economics Commission
Tackling climate change requires the transformation of agrifood systems. The food and agriculture sectors contribute a significant proportion of global greenhouse gas emissions, from production to consumption. They remain leading drivers of nature loss.
These sectors depend highly on a stable climate and natural ecosystems to produce food and other commodities. If you operate in these sectors, your organisation is highly exposed to increasing risks due to climate change and nature loss (think crop failures, rising production costs, legal claims and reputational damage).
However, you are also uniquely well placed to scale climate and nature-positive solutions through your business practices. This can be achieved by leveraging your contracts and legal documents to reduce climate and nature risks within your operations and supply chains.
Meet the team
Gabi Gershuny
Senior Associate
gabi.gershuny@chancerylaneproject.com
Gabi supports ambitious food and beverage, food retail and food service organisations to use their contracts to reduce emissions and nature risks in their operations and supply chains. She trained and qualified as a lawyer at leading UK law firm Burges Salmon, where she advised private and public sector clients on a wide range of environmental matters and low carbon energy projects.
Humzah Khan
Programme Manager
humzah.khan@chancerylaneproject.com
Humzah manages our programme of work in food and agriculture. He has over three years of experience at The Chancery Lane Project, supporting lawyers and business professionals across the globe to implement climate contracting principles, with a particular focus on applying user-centred design. He has a masters degree in global environmental law and governance.
Get the benefit of climate contracts
Contracts and legal documents can help your organisation mitigate risks and achieve key climate and nature goals. This is true whether you produce, process, transport, manufacture, purchase or trade agrifood commodities.
You can set binding targets and commitments to help identify, measure, and reduce emissions and nature risks in your operations and supply chains. You can also create the right legal frameworks to foster collaboration and innovation to develop and scale the solutions we need.
From agricultural leases to production, purchase, supply, trading and financing contracts, you can set the terms for transforming agrifood systems. In doing so, you will build a more resilient and future-proof business.
Who is using our clauses
Case study
NatWest
Requiring suppliers to improve their sustainability score, with failure to improve allowing NatWest to terminate the contract
“This project has been a fantastic learning opportunity and energising to feel we are genuinely doing our bit to make a difference. We are really proud to be an early adopter in this space.”
Kenny Robertson, Head of Outsourcing, Technology & IP legal team
Case study
Vodafone
Putting climate clauses into supply chain processes and creating low and high emitting supplier templates to accommodate SMEs
How we can help you
We’re a non-profit organisation working with the most ambitious organisations who want to be sustainability leaders in these sectors. Our content is free for anyone to use and we also provide bespoke services, such as those below, free of charge.
Build awareness in your organisation
- Identify areas for clause use
- Present to your team or board on how to use our content
- Connect you to other organisations or advisors using clauses
Guide you on implementation
- Which clauses you can consider alongside your legal team, and how they can benefit your organisation
- Troubleshoot common barriers you may face during the negotiation process
Support your advocacy
- Upskill you to become a sustainability leader and champion our content
- Develop your ambition to enable you to take the next step on your climate contracting journey
Useful guides
Guide
Introduce climate provisions to contract parties
Create the right conditions for using contracts to reduce emissions from the very beginning
Guide
Request climate information in due diligence questionnaires
Assess the climate performance of other organisations and how they will impact your transition plan
Guide
Integrate climate obligations into contracts
Impose legally binding and enforceable obligations to help meet emissions-reduction targets
Food and agriculture clauses
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