TERMS OF REFERENCE –
Nature Positive Production Working Group – Terms of Reference (Updated: August 9, 2023)
Co-chairs: Hillary Fenrich and Josefina Eisele
Purpose:
The Nature Positive Production Working Group (NPPWG) is a technical working group of the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) and the extended network of national and regional beef roundtables around the world – focused on advancing solutions that protect nature and support sustainable cattle value chains. It is one of the oldest GRSB technical working groups.
Membership of the wider working group is open to all GRSB members, and in the development of any documents or projects, the wider working group will be informed and consulted. The co-chairs will select a smaller representative group of experts for the purpose of drafting documents, projects, and proposals, referred to as the core group. The co-chairs will schedule separate meetings of the core group and to inform and consult with the wider group as appropriate.
At its core, the NPPWG serves as a constructive dialogue space to support shared learnings and advance the science-based nature positive agenda in the beef value chain as quickly as possible. Outside of the clear link to support implementation of the GRSB Nature Positive Production global goal, the NPPWG exists as an unparalleled dialogue and idea space that works alongside the beef industry to support the production, financing, sourcing, and recognition of sustainable beef (environmentally sound, socially responsible, and economically viable). The NPPWG focuses on the environmentally sound element, recognizing that the beef industry has a responsibility to future ranchers, consumers, and the planet to produce in harmony with nature, with climate change and biodiversity loss as some of the biggest challenges of our time.
We’ve all heard the saying – it’s not the cow, it’s the how. The NPPWG is meant to be a constructive dialogue space to focus on the how, as underlined by science and data. Built from a shared learning space, we also encourage our members to collaborate, design, and implement nature positive projects. This working group is only as good as the conversation: with 24 countries represented through the GRSB and beef roundtable network and representatives from every constituency group, from producers to financial institutions, the NPPWG looks to accelerate and recognize nature positive production as quickly as possible.
Nature Positive Production Working Group (NPPWG) Objectives:
1. Provide a forum for global and regional stakeholders to define as an industry “nature positive production,” discuss associated challenges and opportunities, and share related data, research, and learnings.
2. Build aligned ambition for the Nature Positive Production GRSB goal and support collaborations necessary to implement goal, serving as a connector for partnerships to
implement nature positive production and providing corresponding recognition throughout the beef supply chain. 3. Collaborate to design and implement nature positive projects.
4. Co-create mechanisms to support monitoring & reporting of annual progress of the GRSB Nature Positive Production goal, in alignment with regional and national agendas.
Join us
We’re looking for you at the next Nature Positive Production Working Group if:
• You’re a GRSB or national / regional roundtable member, or interested in becoming one
• You’re interested in sharing technical expertise or local nature positive production realities
• You have ideas, technical capacity, appetite for collaboration, and/or financial resources, to co-design and implement nature positive projects
• You’re excited to learn from other NPPWG members
• You’re committed to proactively participating as much as possible
Logistically, the Nature Positive Production Working Group is co-led by Josefina Eisele and Hillary Fenrich. The WG will also have an GRSB Executive Committee Sponsor who acts as a senior advisor on procedures and deliverables. Meetings are primarily run in English but may have Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese exchanges. English-Spanish translation will always be offered. The meeting schedule will be co-created. Short monthly reports will be delivered to the GRSB Executive Committee and Board of Directors.
If you are interested in learning more about the NPPWG, please contact: Hillary Fenrich – hillary.fenrich@grsbeef.org; Josefina Eisele – josefina.eisele@grsbeef.org