Sustainability Assessment in Soy, Family and Agroforestry Farms: Application of the Rise Tool to the Cerrado

Abstract

Over the last 30 years, extensive areas of Cerrado, the Brazilian savannah, have been converted to export-oriented agribusinesses. The social, environmental and economic impact of such large-scale land-use conversion is massive. To understand whether the current farming development in the Cerrado is sustainable, this study analyzes the sustainability performance of single farms applying the triple bottom line approach. Its aim is to assess the sustainability of soy, family and agroforestry farms. Fifteen farms were analyzed through the indicator-based sustainability assessment tool «RISE». The sustainability scores of RISE themes revealed that soy farms are economically sustainable, while their socio-environmental sustainability degree is rather critical. They scored lower than the other two farm types in all RISE themes except in the «economic viability» and «water use». Family farms and agroforestry are environmentally sustainable according to RISE.The sustainability degree of their social themes is either critical or scarcely positive mainly due to the high number of working hours and the low wage and income level. Looking at the economic sustainability, family farms reached a critical degree and agroforestry farms a barely positive degree. While the difference of sustainability performance between soy farms and the two others is large, it is minimal between agroforestry and family farms. RISE was a valid tool to assess with a moderate amount of data the sustainability performance of highly diverse farm types in the Cerrado.

An outlook on the future of Brazilian agriculture: how farming students of Tocantins perceive sustainability in the Cerrado

“…We based part of our research on a study performed in the Cerrado by Miller et al (2019) that analyzed the farming sustainability of soy farms, traditional family farms, and agroecological farms. Using the Response-Inducing Sustainability Evaluation ("RISE"), the study determined the degree of sustainability of each inspected farm.…”

“…To embed sustainability in the "agribusiness vs. family farming" dualistic agrarian structure of Brazil, efforts must be made to promote and transfer sustainability practices to Cerrado farms (Miller et al, 2019). On one hand, agribusiness farms should increase their environmental sustainability by reducing their impact on the soil and climate, and their energy consumption.…”

“…On one hand, agribusiness farms should increase their environmental sustainability by reducing their impact on the soil and climate, and their energy consumption. They should also improve their sustainable use of materials (e.g., consumables, machinery, infrastructure, feed, and fertilizers), incorporate clear sustainability goals in their farm vision, and enhance their social sustainability, for example, by increasing the employees' wages and cutting down dayworkers' overwork (Miller et al, 2019). On the other hand, family farms should focus on their social sustainability by upgrading working conditions -in particular, the low wages and the work overload -and their economic sustainability by increasing their liquidity and profitability and reducing their dependence on state credits.…”

“…On the other hand, family farms should focus on their social sustainability by upgrading working conditions -in particular, the low wages and the work overload -and their economic sustainability by increasing their liquidity and profitability and reducing their dependence on state credits. Following the example of agroecological farms, relying both on farm product sales and side or off-farm revenues may be a solution (Miller et al, 2019).…”