Wildlife can Thrive with the Right Kind of Business

We have lost over 40% of our wildlife in the last 50 years, and it is estimated that we will lose two-thirds of our wild animals by 2020, according to the 2016 Living Planet Report by the WWF. Climate change and the human destruction of ecosystems have resulted in the animals’ mass extinction on a global level.

This issue was addressed in 2007 at the White Oak Conservation Center in Florida, where representatives from 26 countries met to take action on this crisis. A key insight was that the issue was bigger than just protecting wildlife. It was that the current global economy’s focus on growth without regard for the planet’s ecosystem was the cause of the problem, and it could not be changed in time to save our wildlife.

It became apparent that the solution was within the problem—there was a need to influence and direct consumer dollars toward this crisis. The phrase “Building Economies to Save Ecologies” framed this idea, along with the name of the organization, Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network?. This new nonprofit would set global standards and assist its members to reach new and purpose-driven markets. All with a vision of creating a world where people and wildlife not only coexist, but thrive.

Part of its mission is the Wildlife Friendly Certification program, which provides companies and producers a way to differentiate their products through environmental stewardship by following standards set by WFEN.

“Saving the world’s wildlife is about saving our ecosystems that support and sustain human life through a healthy biodiversity,” says Steven DuPuis, a founding board member of WFEN. “We are part of this system and we must learn to partner with it.”

The DuPuis Group shares Steven’s vision of building economies to save ecologies, and has caught the interest of many Fortune 100 companies, where they work on initiatives that are good for people and all our planet’s inhabitants. This includes the Campbell Soup Company, WhiteWave, Patagonia Provisions, and nonprofits interested in driving new sustainable business models, such as The Breadfruit Institute at the National Tropical Botanical Garden, National Audubon Society, Animal Welfare Approved and Cheetah Conservation Fund.  

For example, the DuPuis Group developed go-to-market strategies and marketing programs for Certified Wildlife Friendly producers to clearly communicate how they are saving wildlife. In addition, the DuPuis Group developed a brand identity system for the Wildlife Friendly Certification program by highlighting the flagship animal that is being saved. The brand mark appears on the related producer’s products.

With more than 30 designs—thoroughly researched to accurately represent each animal--the brand marks provide consumers added value and purpose found in the products bearing the Certified Wildlife Friendly brand mark. Consumers will know that the company is taking the right steps in working with nature. For example, in Cambodia the Giant Ibis (the country’s national bird) has been deemed the most evolutionarily distinct bird in the world and is critically endangered. Cambodian rice farmers that follow the standards of WFEN can proudly display the Certified Wildlife Friendly mark along with their story that shows both social and environmental stewardship.

“We are so proud that worldwide our certified enterprises have conserved over 12 million hectares of diverse wetlands, forests and grasslands,” says Julie Stein, executive director and co-founder of WFEN. “Our Corporate Network members and Wildlife Friendly family of brands, which share our vision for shifting the way the world shops to support iconic wildlife, the world’s last best wild places, and the rural communities living there, help us to promote the mission of WFEN. These include leading-edge sustainability companies like Stella McCartney, Aveda, Nuubia San Francisco and Greater Good.org/Charity USA.”

 “We believe that good business can be good for the planet, but we need to start by developing thoughtful solutions that seek to value our precious biodiversity,” adds Steven.

To see a sampling of recent and ongoing projects that have received a Wildlife Friendly Certification, click here 

To learn more about Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network or the Dupuis Group, visit WildlifeFriendly.org and DuPuisGroup.com, or contact Steven DuPuis at [email protected].