State indicators reflect the conditions of the land as well as its resilience to withstand change as a consequence of sector pressures. This may include indicators which express changes in biological productivity (actual and potential), extent and impacts of soil degradation, including erosion, salinization, etc., annual and long-term balance of nutrients (exported and imported by the cropping systems), degree and type of contamination or pollution (by direct application, atmospheric transport, etc.), changes in organic matter content, water holding capacity, etc. The changes in state may be negative with poor management, or positive with good management. © FAO Link

Indicators in this group include those activities that relate to the degree of intensification and diversification of agricultural land uses, and result in increased pressure on land quality. This may include the number of crops in a cropping system per year or per hectare, type and intensity of tillage, degree of removal of biomass, integration with livestock systems, number of food and fibre products produced annually, etc. These indicators must be seen within the context of major socio-demographic factors such as population pressures, land tenure, etc., but the latter do not qualify for inclusion as LQIs. This is because these major forces do not influence land quality directly, but rather through the land practices that are adopted by farmers as a consequence. It is these management systems and their impacts that we wish to capture as LQIs, although changes in the major driving forces may provide some "early warning" signals. © FAO Link

The response mechanisms are normally achieved through direct actions by the farmers themselves in evolving or adopting improved land management systems, or through complementary activities whereby adoption of conservation technologies is stimulated by general economic, agricultural and conservation policies and programmes. In rare instances, environmental regulations may be necessary to effect proper control of land resource degradation. Response indicators may include number and types of farmer organizations for soil conservation, extent of change in farm technologies, risk management strategies, incentive programmes for adoption of conservation technologies, etc. Response indicators should be distinguished into those categories promoted by governments, those undertaken by individual farmers and those supported by agri-business.  © FAO Link