Assessing the impacts of agricultural activities on biodiversity: analysis of assessment methods

Assessing the impact of agricultural activities on biodiversity is a major challenge for the development of more sustainable production systems. This study presents the main findings of an analysis of existing assessment methods, in order to identify their advantages and limitations. Based on a systematic review of the literature, seven methods were selected. Five of them are based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework. These approaches focus mainly on compositional biodiversity (species richness), while functional and structural dimensions remain little explored. In addition to the representation of biodiversity in the methods, the sensitivity of the methods and the inclusion of agricultural practices remain limited due to a lack of suitable data and the complexity of the relationships between practices and biodiversity. Assessment methods are becoming increasingly complex, calling into question their accessibility and understandability. To improve these assessments, we recommend in particular the development of open databases, the development of functional approaches to biodiversity and the coupling of different methods for a better representation of interactions between agriculture and biodiversity