Nexus resource efficiency and land use: approaches to a multidimensional environmental assessment of resource efficiency

The project develops methodological approaches to describe and evaluate the multifunctional use of land as a resource and tests these approaches using concrete examples from agriculture and forestry. Natural resources and ecosystem services are our livelihoods. Their availability is a prerequisite for the health, social and economic well-being of all people. According to current UN figures, the world population is expected to exceed the 10 billion mark by 2050. In addition, the proportion of the population, which is orientated towards the consumption patterns of the middle class in industrialized countries, will treble. Both trends intensify the competing use of natural resources. The project is divided into three phases:

1. What approaches are there for evaluating efficiency with reference to land use? Firstly, approaches for assessing the efficiency of biomass supply and land use as well as existing concepts for assessing ecosystem services are recorded and analysed. The aim is to assess these approaches according to whether they are suitable for measuring resource efficiency and land use multi-dimensionally and according to environmental policy criteria.

2. What could constitute a comprehensive multi-dimensional approach to evaluating resource efficiency in biomass supply? Based on the acquired knowledge, the researchers then develop a methodological approach to evaluate the resource efficiency of biomass supply from agriculture and forestry. They discuss it with experts from the field in a workshop.

3 . How can this approach be implemented in practice? The applicability of the valuation approach is tested in practice using model scenarios and (horticultural) agricultural and forestry production systems. The model production systems reflect operating conditions in real land use concepts. They are based on actual operating structures and can be adapted for further analysis if required.