Small businesses, big impact: How craftspeople contribute to biodiversity

Small craft businesses face significant hurdles in adopting nature-based and sustainable practices due to limited financial and human resources, as well as restricted access to research knowledge. The EU-funded project Craft2Biodiversity, involving researchers from Austria and Italy, is investigating how these smaller enterprises can play a vital role in conserving biological diversity.

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The scope for craft businesses is limited – tight financial and personnel resources, and hardly any access to research knowledge.

Antje Bierwisch from the Management Center Innsbruck (MCI), who leads the project, notes that research often overlooks small businesses, focusing instead on large corporations. "Even if an individual business is small, craftsmanship as a whole can make a significant contribution to biodiversity," Bierwisch stated. The project aims to bridge this gap by developing practical, actionable recommendations tailored for craft businesses. These recommendations cover various aspects, including product design, operational infrastructure, and the creation of new business models that support biodiversity.

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Research focuses on large companies and corporations – craftsmanship is usually overlooked.

The Craft2Biodiversity initiative takes a holistic approach, examining not only products and processes but also the infrastructure and buildings used by craft businesses. The knowledge generated will be disseminated through training sessions and practical guides, with a strong emphasis on raising awareness, transferring knowledge, and building competence among craftspeople. Pilot actions with participating companies are also planned to demonstrate the practical application of these principles.

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Even if an individual business is small, craftsmanship as a whole can make a significant contribution to biodiversity.

While alternative materials like straw or hemp are recognized as important initial steps, project staff emphasize that they are not sufficient on their own. Susanne Schmid, a project employee, explains that the potential for sustainable transformation must be assessed individually for each business. However, some general principles apply universally, such as avoiding composite materials to facilitate easier reuse and prioritizing durable, repairable products over mere recycling. The project partners include MCI, LVH Bildung & Service Gen, Vivius in Bozen, FH Kärnten, and Confartigianato Imprese in Vicenza.

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Bio-based building materials are often not sufficiently standardized. This prevents companies from implementing biodiversity-promoting measures.