The private sector has an important role in the management and use of land. Land serves as an essential asset for various industries either directly or indirectly through e.g. raw material availability, human resources or brand image. Degraded land is an under- performing asset which incurs expenses or losses. Utilising sustainable land management practices is an opportunity for the private sector through e.g. improved yields, new business opportunities or ensuring current operations.
This scoping document evaluates (on a general level) the risk of land degradation on various industry sectors and discusses the impacts of land degradation on businesses using seven industry sectors as examples. Moreover, the document includes showcase examples of successful business cases which turn land degradation to a business opportunity, mitigate the negative impacts caused by the industry or improve raw material availability by ensuring sustainable land management practices.