What Actually Gets Measured in Agricultural Sustainability (And Why It Matters)

You've been told you need "sustainability data." Maybe a buyer sent a questionnaire. Maybe your bank mentioned ESG requirements. Maybe you've seen the headlines about CSRD and supply chain reporting.

But when you sit down to actually do something about it, the first question is obvious: what am I supposed to measure?

The answer isn't as complicated as the sustainability industry makes it seem. A core set of metrics covers most requirements—buyer questionnaires, certification standards, bank requests, and your own operational intelligence. Get these right, and you've handled 80% of what anyone will ask for.

The Overlap That Works in Your Favor

Different stakeholders want different things. Buyers need supplier emissions for their Scope 3 reporting. Banks want ESG metrics for lending decisions. Certifications have specific checklists. You want to know where your operation wastes money.

Here's the good news: substantial overlap exists between all of these. The metrics that buyers need are often the same ones that reveal operational inefficiencies. The data banks want is the data that helps you make better decisions.

This means you're not building multiple measurement systems. You're building one system that serves multiple purposes.

The Core Metrics That Matter

For most agricultural operations, five to seven metrics cover the vast majority of requirements. These aren't arbitrary—they're the data points that appear consistently across buyer questionnaires, certification standards, and regulatory frameworks.

1. Energy Consumption and Emissions

This is the metric everyone asks about first. Your energy use—electricity, diesel, natural gas, propane—drives your Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions calculations.

What to track:

• Electricity consumption (kWh) by source if possible
• Fuel consumption by type (liters of diesel, gasoline, propane, natural gas)
• Any renewable energy generation or purchases

Why it matters beyond compliance:

Energy is usually your largest controllable cost after labor and inputs. Tracking consumption reveals patterns—seasonal spikes, equipment inefficiencies, process waste. Operations that measure energy use typically find 10-20% reduction opportunities within the first year.

2. Water Use

Water metrics matter more in some regions than others, but they appear on nearly every sustainability questionnaire regardless of location.

What to track:

• Total water withdrawal by source (municipal, groundwater, surface water, rainwater)
• Water consumption vs. discharge (what comes in, what goes out)
• Irrigation volumes if applicable

3. Waste Generation

Waste metrics capture what leaves your operation that isn't product—everything from packaging to processing residues to end-of-life materials.

What to track:

• Waste volumes by type (organic, recyclable, hazardous, landfill)
• Waste destinations (recycled, composted, landfill, incineration)
• Any waste-to-value streams (byproducts sold, compost produced)

4. Land Use and Biodiversity Indicators

For agricultural operations, land use metrics connect your production to environmental outcomes—soil health, habitat, ecosystem services.

What to track:

• Total land area under management
• Land use types (cropland, pasture, forest, wetland, buildings)
• Any conservation or set-aside areas
• Biodiversity practices (hedgerows, buffer strips, cover crops)

5. Production Output

Production metrics seem obvious, but they're essential for calculating intensity ratios—emissions per kilogram of product, water per tonne of output.

What to track:

• Total production volumes by product type
• Yields per hectare or per animal
• Input-to-output ratios where relevant

6. Input Tracking (Often Overlooked)

Inputs—fertilizers, pesticides, feed, seed, purchased materials—drive both costs and environmental impacts.

What to track:

• Fertilizer use by type and volume
• Pesticide and herbicide applications
• Feed purchases and sources
• Seed and planting material

What "Good" Looks Like: Benchmark Ranges

Knowing what to measure is step one. Knowing whether your numbers are competitive is step two.

Benchmark data varies significantly by operation type, region, and production system. These ranges give you a starting reference point—your specific context may differ.

Energy intensity (crop production):

• Efficient operations: 0.5-2.0 MJ per kg product
• Average operations: 2.0-5.0 MJ per kg product
• High-energy operations: 5.0+ MJ per kg product

Waste diversion rates:

• Leading operations: 80%+ diverted from landfill
• Good operations: 50-80% diverted
• Typical operations: 20-50% diverted

Prioritization: Where to Start

You don't need all metrics on day one. Prioritize based on your situation:

If buyers are already asking questions: Start with whatever they're asking about. Most buyer requests focus heavily on energy/emissions and increasingly on water.

If you're preparing before requests arrive: Start with energy, because it's the most commonly requested metric and has the clearest operational value.

If you're optimizing operations (not just compliance): Start with whatever costs you the most money. Usually that's energy or inputs.

Common Mistakes That Waste Time

• Measuring everything at once. Start with core metrics. Add sophistication over time.
• Estimating when you could measure. If you have utility bills, invoices, and production records, use them.
• Perfect data before any data. Start measuring now with the data you have.
• Not documenting methodology. How you measured matters as much as what you measured.