H&M and BKB launch biodiversity restoration project to support farmers

The H&M Group and BKB Ltd, one of the largest suppliers of responsible wool standard (RWS) in SA, has teamed up to implement a local biodiversity restoration land management project. SA is the biggest supplier of RWS in the world and BKB is the largest RWS broker in the world.

Supported by the Rhodes Restoration Research Group & Textile Exchange, they are developing scalable models to promote on-farm regenerative management that includes:

• Intensive conservation and restoration actions;
• Establishing botanical reserves;
• Farmer training; and
• Developing a biodiversity index for monitoring and establishing a baseline. 

In this project, support is used to establish a trusted relationship between farmers and brands. The project is being implemented in Albany, a biodiversity priority region in the Eastern Cape known for its indigenous nature and high conservation value. 

“This project aligns with H&M’s commitment to move beyond compliance and towards improving environmental and social performance. The company follows a holistic approach, working towards its goal to achieve net-zero emissions and contribute to the global goal of reaching a positive impact on nature. Most of the wool used in H&M’s supply chain is responsibly sourced from SA,” says Caroline Nelson, H&M SA's country manager. 

The project officially started in November 2022, with 50 farmers. “We have completed 36 ecological outcome verifications [EOV] which entail the farmers sending us their farm boundaries and us overlaying vegetation types with geographic information system software and mapping monitoring points.

"The farmer then spends a day with an EOV monitor at each monitoring point where an assessment is done. This is their baseline from which progress measurement will take place one year later, and every year thereafter," says Lindsay Humphreys, BKB Ltd sustainability manager.

This article was sponsored by H&M Group.