In the Living Lab “Biodiversity at the Product Level”, Helene Maria Eulenstein and Tomke Hinrichs from FRoSTA AG, together with BioVal project manager Dr. Ulrike Eberle, discussed with agricultural producers and FRoSTA farm manager Florian Schwarzkopf the practicability and usefulness of the BVI method for assessing biodiversity impacts.
The approach of the method is considered to be very useful and effective. However, it also became clear that a differentiated approach is necessary for the implementation of biodiversity-promoting measures in agriculture. For example, with regard to whether cultivation is for industrial processing or for direct sale to end customers via the weekly market or retail trade, as this requires different product quality requirements. Another finding was that it makes sense to supplement the method with consideration of the entire landscape. As a challenge, the risk of possible weeds in the harvested product could be identified by integrating structural elements as a possible biodiversity enhancing measure in croplands.
The results of the field visits will inform further methodology development in Module 2 and tool development in Module 4.
