New farm accounting method measures natural capital across 50 Australian farms

La Trobe University researchers have developed a new way to measure and report the environmental performance of farms in a move that could pave the way for future "sustainability ratings" on consumer food and fiber products. Published in Methods in Ecology and Evolution, the measurement, developed across 50 mixed grazing and cropping farms in south-eastern Australia, addresses one of the biggest challenges facing agriculture: the rising demand for accurate, farm-level data on biodiversity, ecosystem services and environmental sustainability.