To date, there have been no indicators for individual operations. When defining ecosystem services, site-appropriate management is the top priority. The benchmark is the manufacturing company, which, depending on the location, has a certain output, with certain environmental impacts and ecosystem services. That means it's about the agricultural ecosystem: companies use the ecosystem, they influence the ecosystem, and they produce goods, namely consumer goods but also cultural goods.
For the evaluation, we determine biophysical and social aspects that can be measured as indicators on the farm. We capture
- e.g. the output of food and the input of feed for it,
- e.g. the km of hiking trails, the rest benches and fountains as well as the effort involved,
- e.g. the perception of extensive areas and their management.
Another example is the companies’ contribution to climate protection. Anyone who produces food that is in demand on the market and emits few emissions is making a positive contribution.
The calculation models can therefore largely be brought into line with the life cycle assessment method. We thus have a concept that links the ecosystem services with the ecological balance, and - even more important - it links the ecosystem services to the agricultural production system, i.e. to the economic operation.
The list of results is long, including the following points:
- food production
- soil and water protection
- the productive maintenance of the areas
- the preservation of habitats for biodiversity and
- the recreational value, tradition and cultural achievements of the companies.
For some ecosystem services, the individual company assessment can also be carried out using INVEKOS data from the multiple application (MFA). Examples include the productive maintenance of extensive areas, grazing and landscape diversity. However, in order to make a well-founded statement at the company level, we need additional data at the company level.
Operations managers can use the concept to make decisions and thus maintain or further expand their site-appropriate management. The assessment helps to demonstrate the social value of mountain agriculture. These services could be better rewarded in the future: through product marketing, through funding or through new business models. We would be happy to continue the systematic recording and presentation in follow-up projects.
