Nestle and BirdLife Europe partner to measure regenerative agriculture impact

Measuring impact on wildlife

Nestle and BirdLife Europe are starting a three-and-a-half-year collaboration to measure how regenerative agriculture practices affect biodiversity in European agricultural areas and supply chains. This research follows a 58% decline in European farmland bird populations between 1980 and 2024, according to the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme. BirdLife national partners will monitor birds, butterflies, and wild bees on participating farms using established survey methods to compare regenerative agriculture fields with conventional ones on a like-for-like basis, aiming to build a picture grounded in the same standards used to track Europe’s farmland bird populations. The research will assess if these practices benefit wildlife and help identify where farming approaches can be strengthened. This scientific approach is necessary because current intensive farming is wiping out biodiversity and depleting soils, according to Ariel Brunner, Director of BirdLife Europe and Central Asia, and understanding how this farming transition can help restore natural resources is essential to supporting agricultural supply-chain resilience. The evidence will help Nestle, BirdLife, and participating farmers understand which practices deliver the strongest outcomes for biodiversity and where approaches may need to be adapted. For Nestle, regenerative agriculture aims to conserve soil, water, and biodiversity while capturing carbon and supporting farmers’ livelihoods. For BirdLife, birds act as a trusted gauge of environmental health.

Regional implementation and partners

The work starts in 2026 in Spain, building on biodiversity monitoring that Nestle and SEO/BirdLife have conducted on dairy farms since 2021. The program also includes Poland with OTOP – BirdLife Polska, and Belgium will join in 2027 alongside Natuurpunt/Natagora.

The program relies on the knowledge and participation of local farmers to succeed. Anita Walz, Head of Sustainability and Corporate Communications for Nestle Zone Europe, said, "We want to back farmers with the science, the tools and the long-term commitment to help them farm in ways that aim to support nature and their businesses." She stated the group is "measuring selected bird populations in participating European farming areas to help assess changes in on-farm biodiversity." Ariel Brunner said Nestle needs sound science to know which practices to back as many farmers experiment with new approaches. Brunner said that intensive farming is rapidly increasing farmers’ vulnerability to climate change.