The HCV Network has produced a new methodology to bring consistency to the growing use of the HCV approach at larger scales.
Voluntary certification has been quite successful in promoting responsible production of commodities like timber and palm oil. It has acted both directly by driving positive changes at the management unit level, and indirectly by setting best practice examples for sectors and legislators. But, voluntary efforts by a few actors operating in isolated management units are not enough by themselves to effectively address large scale complex challenges such as deforestation, biodiversity loss and threats to livelihoods and cultural values that have multiple drivers acting over large areas and involving many different actors.
Increasingly, governments, foundations, NGOs and companies are looking to landscape or jurisdictional approaches to overcome some of these challenges. There is growing interest from governments and multilateral institutions to commission and/or support and facilitate large scale application of the HCV approach to guide land use planning, sustainable sourcing, legislative and regulatory measures, etc. Because of this trend, the HCV Network has produced a new methodology and guidance document to bring consistency to the growing use of the HCV approach at larger scales.
With support from by the Sustainable Agriculture Supply Chains and Standards Programme of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the HCV Resource Network has developed a new guidance document to introduce the HCV Screening methodology. HCV Screening is largely a remote desktop exercise to assesses the likelihood that HCVs are present at the landscape or jurisdictional level, considers threats to those HCVs and indicates which values are most urgent to attend to with follow-up actions and interventions.
HCV screening results can provide a way to prioritise action in large scale, complex settings - guiding local assessments and planning. Screening is not the same as a detailed HCV assessment for an entire landscape or jurisdiction, but it can highlight important values and areas and prompt stakeholder discussion about long term sustainability. Then stakeholders can determine how screening results and their implications will fit into larger plans, and what resources may be required to move forward.
This guidance applies to any context across different geographies, ecosystems and commodities. A summary document is available for policy-makers.
The HCV Network is also forming a community of practitioners who will be piloting the new methodology in different contexts and countries.
To learn more about HCV Screening or to find out about joining our community of practitioners field testing the new methodology please contact Ellen Watson.
