Operationalizing Agrobiodiversity Stewardship: The Agri-Environment Biodiversity Index as a Catalyst for Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Agricultural Policy and Practice

The escalating biodiversity crisis demands conservation strategies extending beyond protected areas to agricultural lands. This commentary examines the Agri-environment Biodiversity Index (ABI), released by Abovefarm in July 2025 as the first standardized protocol for assessing biodiversity on ecological farms in China. Applied to nine pioneering farms across diverse regions, the ABI addresses a critical gap between policy ambition — framed by Kunming COP15 biodiversity framework and governmental documents relating to ecological farms — and practical implementation. Correlation analysis reveals biodiversity scores significantly correlate with natural habitat diversity and cumulative agroecological practices. The ABI's value lies in operationalizing policy goals, empowering farmers with actionable insights, enabling evidence-based policymaking, and establishing groundwork for natural capital accounting. While challenges remain, the ABI represents an essential instrument for transitioning toward resilient food systems where farms function simultaneously as production units and biodiversity hotspot in the global ecological network.