Nature Business Case Studies
Financial impacts of nature-related risks across sectors and geographies.
21 case studies
ADM: When Draining Wetlands Removes the Flood Protection a Company Needs
Archer Daniels Midland
ADM reported a $125 million operating-profit loss in the first half of 2019 after Mississippi River flooding shut down processing facilities.
Alico: When Pest Control Collapsed, a Century-Old Citrus Giant Died on the Tree
Alico, Inc.
Alico recorded a $147.5 million net loss and wrote down $269 million in citrus assets in 2025 after a pest epidemic destroyed 77.5% of production.
Amazon Flying Rivers: When the Forest Stopped Making Rain
Norte Energia, Cooperacre, SLC Agricola
Three Brazilian companies suffered combined losses exceeding $2.5 billion in 2024 after Amazon deforestation disrupted rainfall patterns.
ArcelorMittal: When a Mining Giant's Expansion Met a Forest-Borne Epidemic
ArcelorMittal
ArcelorMittal suspended a $1.7 billion mine expansion for seven years after Ebola swept through Liberia, incurring $10.6 million in direct costs and requiring $800 million to restart.
BASF: When the Rhine Ran Dry, Europe's Largest Chemical Plant Shut Down
BASF SE
BASF lost approximately EUR 250 million in earnings in 2018 after Rhine drought forced production shutdowns, wiping EUR 3.1 billion from market capitalisation.
Case 3: Chilean Andes Water System — Anglo American and Arauco
Anglo American, Arauco
Anglo American lost an estimated $144 million in copper revenue in 2019 from drought-forced production cuts; Arauco lost $50 million to wildfires in 2023.
Chao Phraya Basin: When the Floodplain Fought Back
Honda Motor Co., Western Digital, Nikon
Honda lost Y338 billion in operating income and spent $650 million rebuilding its flooded Thai assembly plant in 2011.
DRDGOLD: When Contaminated Water Undermines Gold Recovery
DRDGOLD Limited
DRDGOLD faced R678 million per year in potential clean water costs after contaminated process water cut gold recovery by up to 50%.
EPM: When Deforestation Destabilised a Dam, Colombia's Largest Utility Paid the Price
Empresas Publicas de Medellin (EPM)
EPM faced total losses exceeding $2.5 billion after landslides caused near-catastrophic failure of its $3.5 billion HidroItuango dam in 2018.
Fresh Del Monte: When a $1.5 Billion Business Depends on a Single Clone
Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc.
Fresh Del Monte recorded a $37.5 million impairment and abandoned two Philippine banana farms as a soil-borne fungus exploited genetic uniformity across its $1.49 billion banana business.
H&M: When Cotton Crops Failed, Fast Fashion Paid the Price
Hennes & Mauritz (H&M)
H&M reported a SEK 4.1 billion ($630 million) profit decline in 2011 after cotton crop failures across Pakistan, China, and India.
Lesy České republiky: When a Forestry Giant's Own Monocultures Fed the Beetle That Destroyed Its Profits
Lesy České republiky
Lesy posted a CZK 790 million net loss in 2019 as bark beetle destroyed millions of cubic metres of timber; sector-wide damage reached CZK 44 billion.
Malaysia's Pig Farming Industry: When Deforestation Unleashed a Virus, an Industry Collapsed
Malaysian pig farming industry
Malaysia's pig farming industry suffered $450-550 million in losses in 1999 after Nipah virus emergence forced culling of over one million pigs.
Mowi / Marine Harvest: When the Ocean Turns on the Fish Farm
Mowi (Marine Harvest)
Marine Harvest wrote down $16 million in assets and lost $19 million quarterly after an algal bloom killed 2.7 million farmed salmon; industry-wide losses reached $800 million.
Pan Pac Forest Products: When the Watershed Breaks
Pan Pac Forest Products
Pan Pac faced NZ$280 million in total costs after Cyclone Gabrielle inundated its Whirinaki complex, shutting operations for up to 21 months.
Punjab's Cotton Collapse: When Pesticides Destroyed the Pest Control
Vardhman Textiles
Punjab cotton growers lost 40% of their 2015 harvest after pesticide-driven collapse of natural predators triggered the worst whitefly outbreak in the region's history.
Renault-Nissan: When Wetlands Disappeared, the Factory Floor Flooded
Renault-Nissan Alliance
Renault-Nissan lost production of 10,000 cars at its Chennai plant in 2015 after wetland destruction eliminated natural flood absorption.
The Wonderful Company: When the Bees Stop Coming
The Wonderful Company
The Wonderful Company saw pollination costs quadruple from $50 to $200+ per colony, adding $14 million annually to its 46,000-acre almond operation.
Tirupur's Textile Dyers: When an Industry Poisons Its Own Water Supply
Tirupur dyeing industry cluster
Tirupur's 700+ dyeing units lost an estimated $10 million per day during a court-ordered shutdown, then spent $200 million on water treatment to resume operations.
West African Cocoa: When Deforestation Strips the Shade That Beans Need
Barry Callebaut, Cargill
Barry Callebaut saw recurring net profit fall 35.9% to CHF 249.6 million in 2025 while Cargill halted cocoa grinding in Cote d'Ivoire for the first time.
ZESCO: When a Nation's Power Grid Runs Dry
ZESCO Limited
ZESCO lost 72% of generation capacity in 2024, incurring $22 million per month in emergency power imports with total outstanding debt reaching $2.6 billion.