Ecosystem services and agriculture

Ecosystem services provided by nature, such as fertile soil, clean drinking water or protection against natural hazards, form the basis for our quality of life. Due to its extensive land use and multiple forms of farming, agriculture has a significant impact on many such ecosystem services. On the one hand, it contributes to the maintenance of such services, but on the other hand, it can also jeopardise their survival by affecting ecosystems. The Federal Environment Agency has prepared an Austrian inventory of ecosystem services for agriculture and has identified appropriate indicators to present these services. This inventory serves as a means of communication for policy makers and an interested public.