More than half of the world’s arable land is moderately or severely degraded, according to a report published on by the Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) Initiative. The report estimates the cost of this environmental destruction, not only from lost agricultural production and diminished livelihoods, but also from the lost value of ecosystem services formerly provided by the land, including water filtration, erosion prevention, nutrient cycling and the provision of clean air.

There is now a myriad of methodologies to measure natural capital and ecosystem services – so how do practitioners choose the right one?