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| Titel: |
Approaches to Assessing Sustainable Agriculture |
| Auteur: |
Zinck, J. A. Berroteran, J. L. Farshad, A. Moameni, A. Wokabi, S. Ranst, E.Van |
| Verschenen in: |
Journal of sustainable agriculture |
| Paginering: | Jaargang 23 (2004) nr. 4 pagina's 87-109 |
| Jaar: |
2004-04-14 |
| Inhoud: |
This paper brings together several case studies in which different methodological approaches and techniques mobilizing single or composite indicators were applied to assess agricultural sustainability at four hierarchical levels, including the land management system, the cropping system, the farming system, and the agricultural sector system. The first case study (Iran) focuses on the land management system at the level of individual soil units, using statistical quality control charting to assess the soil fertility status and its effect on agricultural sustainability. Statistical limits are adequate to monitor the behavior of a data population over time, but must be replaced by acceptance/sufficiency standards for sustainability assessment. A relevant limitation of control charting is that large data sets are needed to allow for random sample data selection from the whole population and check for normal distribution of the data. The second case (Kenya) concentrates on the cropping system at parcel level, using yield gap analysis to evaluate sustainable crop productivity. Although yield gap analysis does not indicate by itself what yield level is sustainable, it points at levels of crop productivity higher than farmers' yields, which could be achievable with additional inputs and improved management practices. If the farmer can raise the yield to a higher level, his/her farming activity will become more profitable and, therefore, economically more sustainable. The third study (Iran) refers to the farming system at the production unit level, using the energy balance analysis to compare the sustainability of traditional and modern agricultural systems. Energy balance analysis has the advantage of expressing all input and output parameters in the same unit. The approach allows us to establish input/output ratios and compare different farming systems in quantitative terms for assessing their sustainability, but it must be combined with complementary techniques to cover the many facets of the sustainability concept. The last case study (Venezuela) addresses the agricultural sector as a whole, using an aggregated index to monitor the sustainability of the farming activity at regional/national level. Component indicators must be chosen according to data availability, data sensitivity to temporal changes, and the capacity of the data to describe quantitatively the behavior of the agricultural activity. The index needs refinement by integrating additional indicators and by allocating differential weights to the indicators to properly reflect their relevance and dynamics. In general, much effort is still needed to integrate the scale-specific methodological approaches in one coherent framework allowing to navigate through the hierarchical levels of the agricultural macro-system and to take into account the many requirements involved in a holistic model of sustainability. |
| Uitgever: |
Taylor & Francis |
| Bronbestand: |
Elektronische Wetenschappelijke Tijdschriften |
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