Building a Measurement Tool for Biodiversity

Biodiversity is an essential pillar of agricultural sustainability, yet its restoration often takes years to show measurable outcomes. As part of our Primark Cotton Project, we’re working to address biodiversity loss with the goal of getting more farmers in the program to adopt more regenerative agricultural practices by 2030.

The Biodiversify Monitoring Program was launched in March 2024, in partnership with Biodiversity and the Srushti Conservation Foundation. Together, we conducted biodiversity surveys across 14 farms in five villages in the Indian state of Gujarat.

This included two villages where farmers are part of the Primark Cotton Project, using regenerative farming methods, and three nearby villages where traditional methods are still in use. To understand the impact, we monitored farmed areas and surrounding natural habitats for comparisons.

We looked at plants, invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals, and even tested soil organic carbon levels to check for biodiversity in the soil. Local farmers joined in too, sharing their knowledge of biodiversity and observations of changes in species.

Our Monitoring Framework

Our Biodiversity Monitoring Framework has been three years in the making, and it’s aligned with the global standards Science-Based Targets for Nature (SBTN), Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and IUCN Guidelines.

In this first phase of our program, with surveys completed in Gujarat, India, we achieved several important milestones.

• Baseline Data Collection: We established a dataset on biodiversity across diverse species groups and farm conditions.

• Soil Health Analysis: We tested soil organic carbon content to understand the relationship between agricultural practices and soil biodiversity.

• Farmer Engagement: We raised local farmers’ awareness of the importance of biodiversity, and captured their observations on ecological changes.

Looking Ahead

Over the next five years, we will continue biodiversity surveys in Gujarat to track long term trends. We are also planning to:

• Expand the program to farms in Bangladesh and Pakistan to see how biodiversity impacts vary across regions.

• Turn insights into action, using the survey findings to help us refine our regenerative agricultural practices and boost biodiversity outcomes.

• Strengthen partnerships by continuing to build partnerships with local and global experts, to ensure our approach stays practical and backed by science.

Our commitment to biodiversity restoration is an ongoing journey. By collaborating with Biodiversify and the Srushti Conservation Foundation, and aligning with global frameworks, our goal is to restore ecosystems, enhance farming practices, and drive meaningful change in our supply chain.