Contents
1. Introduction & Overview
What is Nature Reporting?
What is Nature Reporting?
Nature Reporting is a tool by Land App, to support supply-chains to provide the farmers that they depend on with greater support, insights about their farming, and to prepare for and access future funding opportunities through Land App’s mapping, planning and collaboration tools.
This provides farmers with in-depth insights about farm resilience and nature impacts, and businesses with a greater understanding of the extent and breadth of the farms they work with. Nature Reporting helps to guide business strategies to provide better support for farmers, to increase farm resilience and biodiversity.
The tool supports farms to map the current state of their farm's habitats and develop future-focused Land Management Plans, which will encourage practices that improve biodiversity, soil health, and water management. These plans will help farmers transition toward more nature-friendly agriculture.
The tool, produced by Land App, enables reporting on over 68 metrics covering Farm Habitat Health (e.g. Integrated Pest Management and Habitat connectedness), Regenerative Agriculture (e.g. Earth Observation on the percentage of cropped land with continuous winter cover), Water Pollution (e.g. percentage of productive land within poor/moderate/good WFD classifications and percentage of cropped land less than 12m from a watercourse), Risk (e.g. percentage area within flood zones) and Existing Scheme uptake (e.g. Countryside Stewardship agreements).
What benefits are there for your farming business?
What benefits are there for your farming business?
By engaging with Nature Reporting and Land App; it opens up the following opportunities:
A clean Baseline Habitat Assessment of your farm (widely used and requested by retailers, processors, banks, advisors, and landscape projects such as farm clusters and Landscape Recovery projects).
Learn how to use Land App to build future Land Management Plans
NOTE: The boundary of your farm allows the Land App team to better understand what schemes or funding routes your farm could take, and farmers are being notified of opportunities. For example, getting notifed of new Government Schemes, or accessing private funding (see JLP Funds £500,000 to nine farmers in the Project with Land App: https://www.jlpjobs.com/blog/waitrose-backs-british-farmers-to-introduce-low-carbon-farming-projects/)
Access to the Land App mapping software and the ability to collaborate on and gain greater control of the maps and plans created for you by the land agents and advisors you work with.
A follow-up “Nature, Risk and Resilience Report” from Land App, showing your scores.
For certain projects, access to expert advice from Land App’s expert network of Accredited Professionals.
What are the benefits for the businesses investing in the Nature Reporting projects?
What are the benefits for the businesses investing in the Nature Reporting projects?
Demonstrate public commitments for improvement to land-use and nature.
Provides a baseline for evidence-based progress of habitat and farm resilience improvements within the supply chain.
Increased understanding of their UK supply chains and greater capacity to engage and support farmers through the provision of advice and targeted support.
Understanding what stories can be told to customers about the work in a wider landscape.
Understanding where in the supply chain there is the opportunity for investing in farm-scale and landscape scale resilience.
How is the data being used by Retailers and Banks?
How is the data being used by Retailers and Banks?
The data shared with retailers and other corporates are the "Nature, Risk and Resilience" scores. No "mapped" data is shared (e.g. no maps showing your farm boundary, baseline habitats or land management plan). Instead, we share with your consent (through the "Land Declaration Form" a suite of metrics calculated from your maps.
Here are some live examples from these customers of where the data is contributing:
Sainsbury's
Waitrose
ASDA
ASDA's biodiversity strategy, including a trial launched with Land App, in partnership with the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership - Read more
Oxbury Bank
Utilising our system for their 2024 Natural Capital Report to quantify habitat health and risks - Read more
Why are Land Management Plans useful?
Why are Land Management Plans useful?
In Land App, land managers can draw "Land Management Plans" - these act as a future view of the ideas and plans of what *could* be created or implemented. They do not act as a "guarantee" that these will happen (e.g. no recipient of the Land Management Plans can "force" or hold to account the plan).
Instead, they provide the following uses:
A "wishlist" of changes that the holding is considering. This provides the Land App software with an idea of the types of interventions that this holding is considering, therefore the map owner may get notified if there are funding schemes that can support the plan becoming a reality.
For example, North Lingy Moor drew a simple Agroforestry scheme, and Land App worked with Waitrose to make this a reality: https://thelandapp.com/2025/05/21/north-lingy-moor-farm-how-one-beef-farmer-is-demonstrating-the-power-of-nature-friendly-farming/
Provides an "uplift" score; by comparing the Baseline to the future Land Management Plan, the Nature Reporting scores show a change IF the plan were to be implement. This acts as a "what if" view of the scores.
For example, by adding a new feature (such as a pond or a new margin), the uplift scores will show the potential improvements that farm will see if the plan becomes a reality.
2. Mapping & Technical Guidance
What plans will I be supported in creating through Nature Reporting?
What plans will I be supported in creating through Nature Reporting?
The “Baseline Habitat Assessment” represents the current habitats, and the “Land Management Plan” provides a way for you to map out and communicate your future plans for your land, which could be realised over the next 2-30 years (please note that not all projects support the creation of a Land Management Plan).
The two UKHab Plans (Baseline Habitat Assessment and Land Management Plan) allow Land App to generate a bespoke report for your farm. This report provides you with in-depth insights on your farm’s resilience, nature impacts, and risks. These insights can help guide your future management to increase the sustainability of your farm business and help you to access new opportunities.
What does an “ideal map” look like for Nature Reporting?
What does an “ideal map” look like for Nature Reporting?
To complete your submission through the Nature Reporting tool, your map must include:
A completed Baseline Habitat Assessment to Level 3 (where possible) of the UKHabitat Classification (learn more here).
This provides an accurate map of the land and habitats you currently manage and provides a useful resource for planning future management and decision-making.
It also provides an easy way for you to share a detailed overview of your farm with anyone you work with.
A Baseline Habitat Assessment is many people's first step to understanding and reviewing what to do and where. This includes evaluating where certain agri-environment options may be appropriate and where environmental markets (such as Biodiversity Net Gain) may provide an opportunity.
Your map is likely to include:
A Land Management Plan that shows the future possible state of your farm.
This provides your farm with a single location to plan changes you may make in the future and where.
It can help provide a plan to share and discuss with your farm team, advisors, and funders.
It can also support which grant options you may consider in future allowing you to make informed and forward-thinking decisions about your agri-environment options.
How are hedges represented in Nature Reporting?
How are hedges represented in Nature Reporting?
Hedges are valuable natural assets within the farmed landscape; they provide habitat connectivity, resources for wildlife (such as shelter and food) and other benefits such as carbon capture and flood mitigation. However, not all hedges are equal.
For Nature Reporting, we follow the guidance set out under the UKHabitat Classification. This means all hedges can be drawn a "linear features" and assigned the relevant hedgerow code (e.g. "h2"). These hedges have their length summed in Nature Reporting to display a "total hedge length (km)" metric.
For hedges to contribute to the wider pool of metrics, such as connectedness score, or habitat cover, they must meet the following criteria;
Be over 25m2 in area (e.g. 1m wide and at least 25m length).
AND they must be mapped as "area" features (e.g. turned into a polygon feature). This can be done by using the "Buffer" tool on any lengths that meet this requirement (guidance), and assigned the relevant UKHab polygon code (e.g. h3 - Dense scrub).
This allows each hedge to be assessed based on it width and length (a.k.a total area).
What should you do if you already have a baseline on Land App?
What should you do if you already have a baseline on Land App?
If you already have a baseline for your farm, you can share the maps directly through the Nature Reporting system, provided it is using the "Baseline Habitat Assessment (v2)" template.
If you have had maps created for you on your behalf, we recommend contacting the creator who will be able to grant you access to the maps. These maps can provide a useful starting point for Nature Reporting.
If you have created maps in a different software, we recommend exporting the maps and importing them into Land App (importing guidance here). If you would like help with this, the Land App team will be happy to support you through the in app chat.
What types of interventions are we looking to promote in the Land Management Plans for Nature Reporting?
What types of interventions are we looking to promote in the Land Management Plans for Nature Reporting?
Input reduction - reduced reliance on inputs such as fertilisers and pesticides
Soil protection - cover crops, temporary leys
Wind protection - agroforestry, shelterbelts, hedgerows
Habitat diversification - diverse swards, diverse margins, diverse crop rotations
Water protection - buffering water courses, continuous green cover
Flood protection - temporary ponds / scrapes, cross-slope vegetation (buffers, margins, hedgerows)
Pollinator habitat creation - traditional orchards, lenient hedgerow management
3. Data Definitions & Metrics
How is a Biodiversity Positive habitat defined?
How is a Biodiversity Positive habitat defined?
Each habitat deemed “Biodiversity Positive” is any habitat that is clearly relevant to addressing specific biodiversity objectives. This includes:
all natural and semi-natural habitats
all habitats within the Biodiversity Net Gain scheme with a “medium” to “high” distinctiveness (exception of biodivese green roofs, cemeteries & churchyards)
any farmland habitats created with the aim of providing resources to wildlife (from earthworms and beetles, to birds and mammals).
The biodiversity-positive habitats are outlined in this table
This system of classification has been developed, reviewed and verified with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH). The methodology for habitat assessment is based on the UK Habitat Classification, accessible through https://www.ukhab.org/.
We are regularly reviewing this categorisation, and for any enquiries, please email support@thelandapp.com
How is Productive land defined?
How is Productive land defined?
Any land managed primarily for the production of human-consumed resources (including food + bio-energy crops, livestock to timber).
What do my metrics mean?
What do my metrics mean?
The Nature Reporting metrics generated are suite of scores to help you understand how your farms habitats contribute to Nature, Risk and Resilience. These are calculated automatically for your farm, and explore elements such as extent of habitat, connectedness of habitat and your farm's context to other metrics.
We have this help guide here that explains the metrics in more detail: Understanding your farm’s Nature Reporting metrics.
Why do my metrics sometimes change/ how often do they update?
Why do my metrics sometimes change/ how often do they update?
If you (or any editors) have made changes to either your Baseline Habitat Assessment or your Land Management Plan, this will change your scores within a 24 hour window.
As Land App is using live data sources (such a "floodzones" as a reference) and calculations, this means some metrics change from time to time as this update. These should only be minor changes, but if you have a specific instance that you would like us to look into, please reach out to support@thelandapp.com
4. Privacy, Ownership & Data Control
What happens when a Farm / Holding revokes access?
What happens when a Farm / Holding revokes access?
If a farm chooses to revoke their submission, their submission will be set to Revoked.
Once revoked, the submission cannot be viewed at all by the organisation.
Metrics generation is also paused for Revoked submissions.
If the farm later re-submits their information, the submission will be set to Pending and needs to be Accepted again by the organisation.
If the organisation accepts the submission, the latest metrics will be generated AND the organisation will also have access to the historical metrics generated when your submission was previously in an Accepted state (i.e. before it was Revoked).
How can I stop sharing my data via Land App?
How can I stop sharing my data via Land App?
As farmers, you own your own data. Which means if you wish to "be forgotten", you can do this by "revoking" access to your maps.
To complete this navigate to the map that contains the plans that were shared.
Click on the Leaf Icon at the top of the screen.
On the Farm info page, scroll to the bottom.
In the publish section, you should see your submission there. Select Review.
Then on the Stop sharing button.
How is my data handled?
How is my data handled?
Data is handled in accordance with our User Terms.
Land App is certified by the British Farm Data Council, meeting their Standards for good practice with respect to Data handling. You can learn more here.
For an in-depth view of the Land App terms, including who owns the data (which is the “Map Owner”, i.e. you in the Waitrose project) and how you can repatriate or remove access, please see the Farm Data Principles here.
Who has access to the data I share through Nature Reporting, and what data can they see?
Who has access to the data I share through Nature Reporting, and what data can they see?
Your data is only accessible to Land App and the Nature Reporting organisation(s) that you share it with.
Land App is a signatory to the British Farm Data Council’s Farm Data Principles and is not permitted to share your data without your explicit consent. The key elements of the Farm Data Principles are that:
Your data is your data
Our organisation makes data easy
Our organisation keeps your data safe
Our organisation is clear about the value and benefit of data sharing
When you set up your Land App account, you provide contact details to Land App, which allows Land App to contact you to provide you with help and support. This contact information is not shared with any third parties.
Specifically, for Nature Reporting:
No contact information is shared through Nature Reporting; the only identifying data provided to the Nature Reporting organisation(s) that you share it with is the holding name and map name that you provide, the Country and County in which you farm, and the processors that you supply to.
Land App has access to this information to help identify any submission issues, track progress, and provide support as you come through the process.
The remainder of the data shared through Nature Reporting relates to the 68 Nature Reporting metrics that Land App reports on to provide insights on habitat health, nature impact and farm-resilience