Criteria and tools
Food for Biodiversity provides practical tools to systematically integrate biodiversity into agricultural production. These instruments support the planning and implementation of concrete measures and make their success measurable—an essential step towards more sustainable agriculture.
Basic set of biodiversity criteria for the food sector in Germany
The basic set is a set of criteria for agricultural production and serves to protect and promote biodiversity. It provides practical guidance on integrating biodiversity criteria into standards, corporate policies and requirements set by producer groups. The focus is on agricultural production—the first and, at the same time, the most risk-prone step in food-sector supply chains with regard to biodiversity. By applying the basic set, companies and producers can minimise biodiversity-related risks.
Different basic sets for different regions
The basic sets are at the heart of Food for Biodiversity and are continuously being further developed. There are now two basic sets: one for food production in temperate latitudes and one for tropical growing regions.
Download the basic set here:
Biodiversity Action Plan
A Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) is the central management tool for effective biodiversity conservation on farms. It records existing measures, assesses their ecological impact in the local context, and identifies specific development potential.
Based on a clearly defined baseline, the BAP enables targeted, evidence-based advice and the continuous improvement of biodiversity performance. As an association, we provide field-tested templates for creating an effective BAP.
Biodiversity Performance Tool (BPT)
The assessment and monitoring of biodiversity on farms have so far been barely standardised. Practical instruments for measuring effectiveness are lacking.
The Biodiversity Performance Tool (BPT) provides a solution: it captures a farm’s current status using key biodiversity indicators and makes strengths as well as the need for action visible at a glance via a traffic-light system.
This makes the BPT the basis for a targeted Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) and makes progress in biodiversity performance transparent and manageable.
Access the BPTi here: https://bpti.biodiversity-performance.org/
For further information on how to use it, interested parties can contact the Lake Constance Foundation: saskia.wolf@bodensee-stiftung.org
Biodiversity Monitoring System (BMS)
The Biodiversity Monitoring System (BMS) enables standards, companies, producer groups and associations to systematically capture and analyse the biodiversity performance of multiple farms. It consolidates farm data—including from the Biodiversity Performance Tool (BPT)—and presents it in an aggregated, comparable and secure manner.
Based on key biodiversity indicators, the BMS makes progress, strengths and the need for action visible and is particularly suitable for monitoring projects and supply relationships. All analyses are carried out in compliance with data protection regulations and exclusively on the basis of your own data.
Access the BMS here: https://bms.biodiversity-monitoring.info/
Contact for further information: marion.hammerl@bodensee-stiftung.org
CircHive – standards for assessing biodiversity
CircHive is developing harmonised methods across Europe to make impacts on biodiversity measurable. The project combines research and practice and provides tools for biodiversity footprints and natural capital accounting. The aim is to embed biodiversity in a robust way into business and public decision-making processes.
Learn more: www.circhive.eu
Case studies on incentives
This research brings together field-tested approaches for how effective biodiversity measures on agricultural land can be financed and supported. The focus is on models in which food companies in particular cover the costs of effective measures, as well as complementary incentive mechanisms that motivate farmers to strengthen biodiversity beyond legal requirements.
The research was conducted as part of the project “Unternehmen Biologische Vielfalt – UBi”.