World Wildlife Fund Sustainability Works

In the US Northern Great Plains, owners of 112 ranches are working with WWF to save one of the world’s last remaining grassland habitats. Multi-generational family ranchers across Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming are contributing to important conservation efforts to restore and preserve grasslands by implementing nature positive changes on their ranches. The work is being done through the Ranch Systems and Viability Planning (RSVP) network – a program that provides comprehensive training and support for ranchers to develop sustainable grazing management plans. Ranchers can apply to receive technical assistance, educational training, participate in ecological monitoring, and connect with peers through networking opportunities.

Deforestation is a major contributor to climate change, and 90% of ongoing deforestation is caused by clearing land to graze cattle and grow crops. But progress on deforestation- and conversion-free (DCF) supply chains remains slow and commodity-driven ecosystem loss continues at high rates. Many companies are failing to meet the urgency of the moment and have failed to even set sustainability targets.

Because the agricultural commodity trade is dominated by a small number of companies globally, actions by companies that produce, trade, and source agricultural commodities are a crucial lever to help solve the problem. But defining what “good” targets and progress look like can be complicated. This complexity can make it difficult for a company’s stakeholders – including buyers, investors, and policymakers – to tell whether new corporate commitments are a step forward or a step backward.

To help identify commitments with potentially fatal flaws, we have drawn guidance from the Accountability Framework initiative, as well as WWF’s own recommendations, to codify several key elements of a DCF commitment. If any of the following elements are found in corporate DCF commitments, they render the entire commitment suspect at best and, at worst, counterproductive. Consider these elements red flags: If you see a commitment with any of these flaws, its credibility is in question.

Freshwater ecosystems are facing a crisis. According to the 2024 Living Planet Report, freshwater species populations have dropped an alarming 85% on average—the steepest decline of any biome. Threats like habitat loss and fragmentation, pollution, and unsustainable water use are pushing rivers, lakes, and wetlands to the brink, endangering species such as river dolphins and freshwater fish. The good news is there is a global agreement to protect 30% of the planet's freshwaters, oceans, and lands by 2030, colloquially called the 30 x 30 targets.

Protecting freshwater ecosystems, however, can be challenging and calls for a range of approaches and flexible solutions. Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (or OECMs) answer that call. OECMs encompass numerous conservation approaches. They include places that aren’t part of traditional protected areas but still keep wildlife populations healthy and nature functioning over time. For example, in the Mekong River Basin, community fishing areas are an important measure for maintaining fish populations crucial for both local food security and biodiversity. A newly released guidance document promotes understanding of possible types of OECMs in freshwater ecosystems that can help countries reach their 30 x 30 targets for freshwater.

One of the keys to comprehensive and successful conservation programs is collaboration among a variety of organizations. Restoring water to The Rio Grande Rio Bravo, which winds over 1,800 miles from Colorado through New Mexico and Texas to The Gulf of Mexico, is a task that requires dynamic collaboration. WWF’s partnership with Finish Dishwashing brand exemplifies this type of joint effort whereby multiple organizations join forces for a common conservation goal. Funding from this partnership supports four key conservation projects on the ground, helping to replenish one of America’s most water-stressed rivers.

In 2019, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and American Beverage (ABA) joined forces to tackle a growing environmental crisis: plastic waste. This partnership is driven by one shared goal: to ensure that every plastic bottle remains in the loop to become another bottle, moving the world towards less plastic use and no plastic in nature. This kind of “circular economy” ensures materials are remade, reducing the need for new plastic and minimizing environmental impact. To that end, over the past five years we’ve worked to deliver meaningful, practical, and innovative solutions — and our efforts have yielded significant results.

In 2022, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Triangle Associates released a study showcasing the transformative benefits of replacing traditional milk cartons with bulk milk dispensers in K-12 schools. This research demonstrated that such a switch can dramatically cut packaging and milk waste, reduce school expenses, and boost student nutrition by increasing milk consumption. To help schools make this change, WWF’s report detailed several real-world school examples, with both milk and cost savings data, and a Cost Savings Estimate Calculator for schools to model their own potential savings. Now, a recent pilot project in Washington State offers compelling new evidence that bulk milk dispensers could be a game changer when it comes to reducing food waste in school cafeterias across the country.

Each year, October 16 marks World Food Day. This year’s theme, Right to foods for a better life and a better future, perfectly summarizes why WWF works on food. Food is not a nice to have, it’s a must have. But access to food doesn’t always come easy for everyone, and of the food we do produce – 40% of it is lost or wasted. By 2050, we’ll have 9 billion people to feed. If we’re going to do that, we need to find ways to improve the efficiency and productivity of how we produce and source our food so we can ensure a healthy future for both people and the planet.

From transformative global solutions, to making small changes in the school cafeteria, to embracing seaweed as a food source, in celebration of World Food Day, here are 3 food-focused solutions to help us rewrite the future of food.

1. Curbing Environmental Destruction for Food Production: Codex Planetarius is a proposed system of minimum environmental performance standards to improve the sustainability of globally traded food and soft commodities. Codex aims to grow demand for globally traded food while minimizing the negative environmental consequences. Dive into this concept on WWF's Nature Breaking Podcast - listen here.

3. Turning Cafeterias into Classrooms: The traditional classroom is not the only place where learning takes place. Since 2017, WWF has been turning cafeterias across the US into classrooms –empowering students to understand and act on the environmental consequences of food waste, such as its impact on climate change, water use, and biodiversity loss. Food Waste Warriors incorporates hands-on learning and encourages students to be advocates for sustainable food practices in their schools and communities. Learn more about Food Waste Warriors here and check out what one school in Georgia has been up to in this recent segment from ABC News:

To the business community: pay attention to this next statistic because it has critical ramifications for your company and livelihood.

According to WWF's latest Living Planet Report, we’ve seen a 73% decline in the average size of wildlife populations since 1970.

Sad, right? But what does wildlife have to do with you? You may be thinking that this is a problem for conservationists and scientists—fewer fish in Brazil won’t make a difference to your company one way or another. I’m sorry to tell you this, but that couldn’t be more wrong.

Every two years, WWF releases a state-of-the-planet report chronicling the health of our natural world, the drivers of biodiversity loss, and solutions. That shocking statistic—an average 73% decline in wildlife populations—is the canary in the coal mine. Biodiversity loss is inextricably linked with other aspects of planetary health, including our climate and availability of natural resources. In short, this is not just about animals; this is a human problem, and a problem for business. Take it as a warning sign about our planet’s ability to support life and provide the resources on which we depend. This is a red flag so big and bright you could see it from outer space.

The global food system is complex, shaped by the unique cultures, traditions, and environmental contexts of different regions. The newly launched Great Food Puzzle report introduces a groundbreaking approach to addressing the biodiversity, climate, and health crises through sustainable food systems. Rather than promoting a one-size-fits-all solution, this report helps countries identify actions that can be adapted to their specific contexts. By creating a typology of six Food Systems Types, the Great Food Puzzle reveals high-impact solutions for each group of countries, considering both environmental and socioeconomic factors.

One of the report’s most compelling findings is the unrealized potential of public education on healthy and sustainable food consumption. Raising awareness and changing behaviors are universal challenges, and some of the most innovative examples of food system transformation are already occurring within schools.

A Conversation With Josefina Braña Varela and Lucas Black

At last year’s Climate Week NYC, WWF formally launched the Nature-Based Solutions Origination Platform (NbS-OP), a novel tool designed to create large-scale positive change for people, nature, and climate across priority tropical forest landscapes. To mark the anniversary, we sat down with WWF’s Josefina Braña Varela and Lucas Black, platform co-leads, to reflect on 12 months of progress and their recent trip to Madagascar—one of the NbS-OP landscapes.