New Guide for Agricultural Biodiversity and Landscape Quality

Published by IFOAM* and ELPR Ltd. in July 2009

The Guide Book is designed to provide practical working examples and suggestions for farmers and advisers who are aiming for real positive change on farmlands world wide. Proven innovations from a wide variety of farms, traditions and agro-ecological zones are described, along with the underlying ecological and agricultural principles that make them effective. The more we all understand of the potential benefits and synergies of enhanced biodiversity and landscape quality within any and all types of agriculture, the more effective and appropriate the solutions that arise in our own contexts will be.

This Guide provides a start for that process on which we can build, within the traditions of Organic Agriculture, but applicable for all rural land use. The book is elaborated within a wide, international network of experienced institutions and authors.

A preview of the book with table of contents, extended summary and introduction is available here (pdf, 1.3 MB). The full version can be downloaded i.a. in the IFOAM webshop.

* IFOAM: International Federation of Organic Agricultural Mouvements

Bosshard A., B.R. Reinhard & S. Taylor (eds.) 2009: Guide to Biodiversity and Landscape Quality in Organic Agriculture. IFOAM, Bonn (D). ISBN 978-3-940946-11-9. 185 pp. Table of content and summary (pdf, 1300 KB). To IFOAM's webshop.

Related Publications of ELPR:

Bosshard A. 2005: Implementing biodiversity standards: The need for extension. In: Stolton S. & B. Geier (Eds.): The Role of Organic Agriculture for Biodiversity - its contribution today and its potential tomorrow. Proceedings of the 3rd International IFOAM/IUCN Conference on Biodiversity and Organic Agriculture, Nairobi, 24.-26.9.04. (download here: pdf 50 KB)

Bosshard A. 2003: Actual and Potential Role of Organic and Traditional Agriculture for the Conservation of Biodiversity. In: The Potential of Organic Farming for Biodiversity. In: Stolton S, D. Metera, B. Geier & A. Kärcher (eds.) 2003: The Potential of Organic Farming for Biodiversity. Münster (Landwirtschaftsverlag), p. 67-78. (download here: pdf 50 KB)

Bosshard A. 2002: Participation of different actors in a landscape. In: Bastian O. & U. Steinhardt (eds.): Development and Perspectives of Landscape Ecology, pp. 424-432. Kluwer. ISBN 1-4020-0919-4.

Bosshard A. & T. van Elsen 2002: Gesichtspunkte zur Landschaftsentwicklung auf dem biologisch-dynamischen Hof. In: Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau, Verein für biologisch-dynamische Landwirtschaft (Hrsg.): Leitfaden zur biologisch-dynamischen Landwirtschaft, Kapitel 6: Landschaftsentwicklung. Frick und Münchenstein (CH). 15 S.

Bosshard A. 2000: A methodology and terminology of sustainability assessment and its perspectives for rural planning. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 77, 29-41. Bosshard A. 1997: What does objectivity mean for analysis, valuation and implementation in agricultural landscape planning? A practical and epistemological approach to the search for sustainability in "agri-culture". Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 63, 133-143. (download here: pdf 75 KB)