BDI - Botanical Diversity Index

Why do our foods have a Botanical Diversity Index?

A new way to measure what really matters: the diversity of life in your food

BDI - an index that reveals the biodiversity in every bite

Diversity in food isn’t just about variety — it’s about vitality. A diet made up of many different plant species supports a healthier gut, strengthens immunity, and reflects a thriving food system. But most of the world’s food comes from just a handful of crops, and that’s part of the problem — not just for health, but for the planet.

The Biodiversity & Diet Index (BDI) is Grove & Meadow’s simple but powerful tool for measuring the botanical and microbial diversity in our food products — and the farming practices behind them. It’s how we track and communicate the link between soil health, gut health, and conservation.

Most food labels focus on protein, calories, and macros. But they don’t tell you anything about the life in your food or care much about the micronutrients.

The BDI changes that — it’s not about marketing buzzwords. It’s about giving you real insight into how connected your food is to living systems, both inside and outside your body.

An indicator that your food is nourishing the body and the landscape they come from

A living index - still evolving like the systems it measures

But by putting it at the center of our food philosophy, we’re moving toward a future where biodiversity is not just something to protect, but something to eat, celebrate, and regenerate.

Imagine if every food label told you not just what a product contains — but what it supports.

What if your breakfast granola helped restore soil health? What if your plant-based cheese protected local seeds and reduced pressure on wild lands?

That’s the kind of future BDI helps us build — one where the impact of food is visible, measurable, and positive.

We use the BDI to:

Guide our recipe development — ensuring each product is built for nutrient diversity and microbial richness
Incentivise sourcing from farms that use regenerative practices and grow diverse, native crops
Educate our customers about why diversity matters — for their own health, and for Africa’s soils, seeds, and ecosystems