Farming With Nature EIP Final Report

The Farming With Nature EIP project developed the Farmland Biodiversity Index (FBI) — a rating system that measures both the quantity and quality of Space for Nature (SFN) on farms. The index is based on three core components: (i) the area of the farm, (ii) the area of the SFN, and (iii) the quality of the SFN. To assess habitat quality, habitat scorecards were created and used by trained ecological assessors. While the approach proved effective, the initial method, which combined remote farm mapping with field verification and ecological scoring, was expensive, time-consuming, and resource-intensive. To address these challenges, the project developed a web-based mapping portal capable of mapping any farm from any computer, and an accompanying field App for tablets. The App supports ground-truthing and allows real-time updates in the field, including the ability to record additions or removals of SFN areas. Together, the mapping portal and App significantly streamlined the biodiversity assessment process. They enabled faster and more efficient scoring, reduced reliance on paperwork, and produced immediate, fully verifiable biodiversity data — all while maintaining scientific rigour.