The EU-funded project SHOWCASE has released its final handbook, titled “Farming with Biodiversity”, which serves as a practical and evidence-based guide and bank of resources to help farmers, advisors and policymakers work together to make European agriculture both profitable and nature-positive.

Developed through the five years of collaboration across 10 Experimental Biodiversity Areas (EBAs) in 10 European countries, this handbook distills the project’s research findings and on-farm experiences into accessible, illustrated chapters presenting evidence from the project’s researchers and farmers. The handbook demonstrates how biodiversity can be a cornerstone of resilient and productive farm systems when supported by informed policy and farmer-led innovation.

At the heart of the SHOWCASE project lies the conviction that European agriculture should investigate the opportunities to achieve sustainable farming systems that deliver both food and public goods - from biodiversity, to carbon, to thriving rural landscapes. The project combined ecological experiments, socio-economic analysis and participatory research to test how biodiversity-friendly management, such as flower strips, cover crops and reduced pesticide use, affects biodiversity, yield and profit.

Across Europe, SHOWCASE found that biodiversity increased in all trial farms, while yields generally remained stable unless inputs were drastically reduced. The EBAs represent real-world case studies from working farms across Europe, showcasing how biodiversity-friendly practices perform under practical farming conditions, and illustrating the tangible benefits and challenges of integrating nature into productive agriculture, offering evidence and guidance for farmers, advisors and policymakers alike.

Farmers at the centre of innovation

The SHOWCASE approach was built around co-creation, involving farmers as active partners in scientific research. Farmers and scientists worked together to design and test interventions, monitor results and share lessons across the EBAs. This participatory model helped align ecological goals with farmers’ economic realities and social contexts.

A European blueprint for biodiversity-based farming

The SHOWCASE handbook lays out four flexible strategies to help farmers integrate biodiversity into their operations:

• Manage land for nature - set aside or restore natural habitats;

• Farm less intensively - reduce inputs and soil disturbance;

• Increase diversity - through crop rotations, cover crops, or agroforestry;

• Support broader change - collaborate, monitor progress and ensure such funding that addresses the need for support of biodiversity-friendly farming in an efficient way.

These strategies are adaptable to different landscapes and farming systems, offering a practical framework contributing to the Nature Restoration Regulation, the Green Deal, the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategy targets at farm level.

A tool for policy and practice

The findings of SHOWCASE, demonstrated in the handbook, support EU and national policies such as CAP eco-schemes and result-based payments for ecosystem services. They also contribute to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, demonstrating how agricultural landscapes could become one of the drivers of biodiversity recovery while supporting rural livelihoods.

The handbook available in 10 languages

To maximise its accessibility and impact, the Farming with Biodiversity handbook has been translated into 10 European languages, ensuring that farmers, advisors and rural communities across the continent can directly benefit from its findings and practical recommendations. By making the material available in the native languages of the Experimental Biodiversity Areas involved in the SHOWCASE project, the consortium aimed to bridge the gap between research and real-world application, empowering farmers in diverse regions to adopt nature-friendly practices tailored to their local conditions.

The Farming with Biodiversity handbook is available for free download on the SHOWCASE website and the SHOWCASE Living Fields Platform.