CZECH AND SLOVAK ADAPTATION OF THE REGIONALWERT LEISTUNGEN
CZECH AND SLOVAK ADAPTATION OF THE REGIONALWERT LEISTUNGEN METHOD
Agriculture is undervalued
Regionalwert Leistungen makes visible the work farms do for the soil, society, and the region, assigning financial value to it. At Czech Organics, we are verifying how to set up this approach for Czech and Slovak conditions.
WHAT THE METHOD EVALUATES
A farm does not only produce food. Regionalwert Leistungen makes visible and quantifies the sustainable activities of an agricultural enterprise.
The farming method also affects soil fertility, water retention, landscape diversity, human conditions, and economic relationships within the region. However, the conventional market does not purchase part of this work separately, and in accounting it often appears primarily as an expense. The method captures it through concrete data, thereby complementing the farm's standard financial picture.
01
Whole-Farm Approach
It evaluates the operation of the entire farm over a single financial year, not just a single product.
02
Three Dimensions
It connects ecology, society, and the regional economy into a single assessment.
03
Verifiable Activities
It is based on specific operational data that the farm can document.
THE BIG PICTURE
It is not about a single isolated indicator.
Regionalwert Leistungen aims to capture how a farm operates across three interconnected dimensions. It is precisely this comprehensive perspective that sets it apart from narrower types of evaluation.
01
Ecology
Soil, biodiversity, climate, water, and animal welfare.
02
Society
Working conditions, education, knowledge sharing, and the farm’s relationship with society.
03
Regional Economy
Business resilience, origin of inputs, market diversity, and local economic ties.
ORIGINS OF THE METHOD
The method traces its roots back to the work of Christian Hiß, who, while managing an organic market garden, began addressing how to capture the social and ecological benefits of agriculture in business accounting.
Regionalwert AG Freiburg was founded in 2006, and since 2009, its partner businesses have reported socio-ecological benefits alongside their financial results.
This work was followed by the research projects "Richtig Rechnen" (Calculating Correctly), which gradually gave rise to today's Regionalwert Leistungen tools. The methodology continues to evolve in collaboration with farmers, scientists, and other experts.
WHY WE FOCUS ON THIS
We want to be able to define the work that farms do for the soil, landscape, people, and the region — work that often shows up in conventional accounting primarily as an expense.
WHAT WE DO
We are not simply translating the German method. We are adapting and testing it.
We are verifying where Regionalwert Leistungen works under Czech and Slovak conditions, what needs to be changed, and whether the result is clear, manageable, and fair.
01
Evaluating Indicators
We are identifying which German indicators are relevant to local agriculture and how to define them precisely.
02
Reviewing Targets and Rates
We are examining their technical and economic foundation. German baseline values cannot simply be adopted directly.
03
Checking Data Availability
We are verifying whether farms have the necessary data, where they source it, and how demanding it is to provide proof.
04
On-Farm Testing
We monitor question clarity, the time required, and how the results perform across different operations.
WHAT WE DO
In spring 2026, we reviewed indicators, data availability, target values, and financial valuation methods during three expert workshops with practitioners, advisors, researchers, and public authority representatives. We ensure that the Czech and Slovak setup is co-created with people who know farming from various perspectives, making sure it remains practical for everyday operation.
We are now testing the adapted version directly on farms to evaluate whether the questions are clear, the required data is accessible, and the assessment is practically applicable across different types and sizes of operations.
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HOW THE METHOD WORKS
Farm data is used to generate both an evaluation and a financial valuation.
The method analyzes the operations of the entire farm over a single financial year. For individual indicators, it compares documented data against set targets and assigns a financial value to selected activities.
01
The Farm Provides Data
It relies primarily on existing records—such as accounting files, land and crop records, operational logs, or timesheets.
02
Activities Are Evaluated
Data is benchmarked against set targets to generate percentage scores for each indicator.
03
Value Is Calculated
For select activities, the methodology uses predefined rules to calculate their monetary value.
WHAT THE RESULTS LOOK LIKE
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The report can serve as a basis for further decision-making.
It can show the farm where it is performing well and where there is room for improvement. The same output can open a more specific dialogue with an advisor, buyer, bank, or public authority.
01
Farms & Advisory Services
It helps identify farm strengths and weaknesses, providing a concrete baseline for development planning or work with an advisor
02
Banks & Finance
Results can complement standard financial metrics with insights into farm operations and long-term resilience. How banks will utilize this remains an open question.
03
Retailers & Processors
It gives buyers and processors clearer data on supplier farm practices and a shared foundation for further collaboration.
04
Municipalities & Public Sector
It offers local authorities a clearer basis for programs targeting soil, water, landscape management, or regional collaboration.
It is not about a single isolated indicator.
Regionalwert provides two types of results and has clear limitations. It is helpful to keep these distinctions separate.
01
Evaluates the Whole Farm, Not a Product
The score reflects overall farm operations for a single financial year. It is neither a product label nor a certification for a specific product.
02
Evaluates Practices, Not Impacts
The method is based on verifiable practices and actions. This means it does not directly measure every downstream change in soil, biodiversity, or wider society.
03
Scores vs. Financial Values
The percentage score shows how close you are to the target. The monetary value reflects the financial worth of those actions, based on factors like farm size or total area.
04
Valuation Is Not a Payment
The amount shown in the report does not automatically constitute a payout. Any actual payment requires a dedicated funding partner, data verification, and clear financial rules.
05
Local Adaptation in Progress
Indicators, targets, and valuation rates are being tailored to local conditions and tested directly on farms. We are not simply adopting the German setup automatically.
GET INVOLVED
Help us verify how the method works in practice.
We are looking for Czech and Slovak farms, experts, and partners who want to test the method on real data or explore its practical applications.
01
Join the Pilot
Test data availability, time effort, and practical accuracy on your farm—currently open for Czech and Slovak farms.
02
Contribute Expertise
Help us evaluate indicators, targets, data sources, or financial valuation rules.
03
Explore Use Cases
We are identifying practical use cases for the results—whether in advisory services, supply chains, finance, or public programs.
FAQ
Common Questions
It evaluates overall farm operations over a single financial year. It tracks verifiable practices across ecology, society, and the regional economy—tailoring specific questions to the farm’s focus.
Primarily on existing records the farm already uses—such as accounting files, land and crop databases (e.g., LPIS), livestock registries, timesheets, or purchase and sales logs.
Farm data is benchmarked against set targets to generate a percentage score. For select practices, predefined rules are also used to calculate a proposed monetary value.
Primarily on existing records the farm already uses—such as accounting files, land and crop databases (e.g., LPIS), livestock registries, timesheets, or purchase and sales logs.
Primarily on existing records the farm already uses—such as accounting files, land and crop databases (e.g., LPIS), livestock registries, timesheets, or purchase and sales logs.
Primarily on existing records the farm already uses—such as accounting files, land and crop databases (e.g., LPIS), livestock registries, timesheets, or purchase and sales logs.
Primarily on existing records the farm already uses—such as accounting files, land and crop databases (e.g., LPIS), livestock registries, timesheets, or purchase and sales logs.