A Framework for Empirical Assessment of Agricultural Sustainability: The Case of Iran

Abstract

In developing countries, agricultural development is still a fundamental means of poverty alleviation, economic development and, in general, sustainable development. Despite the great emphasis on sustainable agricultural development, it seems that there are many practical difficulties towards empirical assessment of agricultural sustainability. In this regard, the present study aims to propose a comprehensive framework for the assessment of agricultural sustainability and present an empirical application of the proposed framework in south-east Iran (Kerman province). The framework is based on a stepwise procedure, involving: (1) The calculation of economic, social, environmental, political, institutional and demographic indicators, covering the actual and potential aspects of unsustainability; (2) the application of Fuzzy Pairwise Comparisons and Analytic Hierarchy Process to construct composite indicators, with the purpose of incorporating the concept of social construct into the assessment process; and (3) the application of Sustainability Maps, diagrams and Barometer of Sustainability for presenting and analyzing the results. The output of the framework is a comprehensive and yet easy-to-understand picture of agricultural sustainability numerically and visually for the selected counties of the province in 2003 and 2015 —via the variety of comparisons and rankings— which allows us to identify the weaknesses and strengths of agriculture in each county in various sustainability levels (comprehensive, overall actual and overall potential, dimensional, and base indicators). It also enables us to monitor and analyze the trends in sustainability changes over the years. By providing such information, this framework can be a useful tool to support agricultural sector decisions that would help planners and policymakers find the right path and move toward sustainability, or modify policies to stay in the right direction over time. Overall, the results suggest that the proposed framework can be an effective tool for the assessment of agricultural sustainability. Of course, it is necessary to examine and validate its capabilities through practical applications in different agricultural areas and systems.

Identifying Business-to-Business Unfair Trading Practices in the Food Supply Chain: The case of Cyprus

“…At the same time, the role of producers' organizations, short food supply chains and interbranch organizations, are recognized as appropriate means in strengthening the negotiating power of farmers, as well as in addressing UTPs (Rosario and Robin, 2018). Indeed, with regard to producers' organizations, their important role in the sustainability of (small-scale) farmers is well-acknowledged in the literature (Fallah-Alipour et al, 2018).…”

A Sustainable, Regional Agricultural Development Measurement System Based on Dissipative Structure Theory and the Entropy Weight Method: A Case Study in Chengdu, China

“…As economic growth cannot fully reflect this perspective, the social subsystem is focused on improving the quality of human life. Therefore, the social subsystem indicators selected in this paper were the urbanization rate and the per capita living area of rural residents [1,18].…”

“…Population has been used as a subsystem or indicator in sustainable agricultural development systems [1,12,19]. Academics generally believe that sustainable agricultural development is a complex system that covers the population, economy, resources, environment, and society [20].…”

“…As agriculture is an economic activity, a livelihood, and a provider of environmental services, it contributes significantly to a country's development [1]. Sustainable development, a concept that emerged in the context of a growing awareness of an imminent ecological crisis, seems to have been one of the driving forces of world history in the period around the end of the 20th century [2].…”

Farmers’ Perceptions of the Warehouse Receipt System in Indonesia

“…Sustainable agricultural practices include farmers' adoption of good agricultural practices that minimize the effects on the environment, and lead to increases in food productivity [2]. The level of agricultural sustainability varies across different regions, countries, and in different periods [3]. In general, farmers have a positive attitude toward sustainable agriculture practices that enhance agricultural productivity and are environmentally friendly [2,4].…”