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Journal Article•

Evaluación de la sustentabilidad en agroecosistemas

Jesús Gastón Gutiérrez Cedillo
03 Feb 2006-Espacio y Desarrollo (Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Centro de Investigación en Geografía Aplicada)-Iss: 18, pp 6-27
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors show the experience obtained in Mexico and Latin America from the application of the Methodological Framework for the Evaluation of Management Systems with sustainability lndicators between 1999 and 2005.
Abstract: In this paper, I show the experience obtained in Mexico and Latin America from the application of the Methodological Framework for the Evaluation of Management Systems with Sustainability lndicators between 1999 and 2005. These are diverse efforts to increase and evaluare the sustainability of agro ecosystems under various conditions, with different constraints and results; in sorne cases, these include the comparison of contrasting systems and, in others, the changes obtained for the same system under alternative ways of management.All the cases are attempts to make operative the concept of sustainability applied to sustainable development, specifically supported over the experience of evaluating agro ecosystems under the conditions of the Latin American countries.
Citations
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Posted Content•
Weak and strong sustainability in the SEEA: concepts and measurement

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Simon Dietz1, Eric Neumayer1•
London School of Economics and Political Science1
15 Mar 2007-Research Papers in Economics
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explain how the latest international handbook on environmental accounting, the System of Integrated Environmental and Economic Accounting or SEEA ( United Nations et al., 2003), can be used to measure weak and strong sustainability.
Abstract: In this paper, we explain how the latest international handbook on environmental accounting, the System of Integrated Environmental and Economic Accounting or SEEA (United Nations et al., 2003), can be used to measure weak and strong sustainability. We emphasise the importance of understanding the conceptual differences between weak and strong sustainability. We then outline what we consider to be current best practice in measurement, all the time flagging the relationship between our discussion and that of the SEEA-2003. This is an important task in our view, because, despite covering a very wide range of relevant conceptual and empirical issues, the handbook is by design not meant to provide clear guidelines for the purpose of measuring sustainability in either its weak or strong version.

73 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
Limitations of neoclassical economics for evaluating sustainability of agricultural systems: comparing organic and conventional systems

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Claudia Cecilia Flores1, Santiago Javier Sarandón2•
National University of La Plata1, Ceres2
28 Jun 2004-Journal of Sustainable Agriculture
TL;DR: In this article, one organic and two conventional farms from La Plata, Argentina, were compared by means of the neo-classical analysis, which showed that the organic system fulfilled sustainability objectives more efficiently than conventional ones, but at the same time, the organic farm had a higher profitability only when the prices of organic products reached 340% relative to conventional ones.
Abstract: Although sustainability goals have been gradually incorporated into the agricultural education institutions, the analysis of different agricultural systems viability is still being carried out based on cost-benefits analysis. As this analysis does not incorporate ecological, social and cultural variables, it has important limitations to compare the sustainability of these agricultural systems. To show these weak points, one organic and two conventional farms from La Plata, Argentina, were compared by means of the neo-classical analysis. From an agro-ecological point of view, ecological, productive and social aspects were also analyzed by means of a set of sustainability indicators. Cost-benefits analysis showed that the organic farm had a higher profitability only when the prices of organic products reached 340% relative to conventional ones. Agroecological analysis showed that the organic system fulfilled sustainability objectives more efficiently than conventional ones, but at the same time, th...

34 citations

Cites background from "Evaluación de la sustentabilidad en..."

  • ...Under this approach, agriculture appears as a similar activity to others economic activities; consequently, conventional agriculture is considered more competitive, and alternative productive systems are viewed as non-profitable for economic growth (Simón Fernández, 1998)....

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  • ...…out taking into account ecological and social variables, as those proposed by the agroecological approach, conventional agriculture is associated to larger environmental costs, whereas alternative systems show better environmental benefits and/or smaller social costs (Simón Fernández, 1998)....

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  • ...Finally, to advance towards sustainable agricultural systems, a critical attitude must be taken with regards to the preexistent ideological focus and build new economic systems that overcome the limitations of the economic neoclassic focus (Simón Fernández, 1998)....

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Journal Article•DOI•
Current Epistemological Perceptions of Sustainability and Its Application in the Study and Practice of Cattle Production: A Review

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Pedro Cisneros-Saguilán, Felipe Gallardo-López, Silvia López-Ortiz, Octavio Ruiz Rosado, José G. Herrera-Haro, Elías Hernández-Castro1 •
Autonomous University of Guerrero1
20 Jul 2015-Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems
TL;DR: For the socioeconomic and environmental importance of cattle production worldwide, this paper identified the origin, evolution, and epistemological perspectives of sustainability and its application in livestock agroecosystems.
Abstract: For the socioeconomic and environmental importance of cattle production worldwide, we identify the origin, evolution, and epistemological perspectives of sustainability and its application in livestock agroecosystems. In this context, the concept has been empirically addressed using four themes, which are not exclusive but we consider they are relevant to agricultural sustainability: neo-economical, ecological–environmental, socio-anthropological, and technical–biological, which have been influenced by two strong scientific traditions, Aristotelian and Galilean. We conclude that although academic disciplines seek to adopt systemic approaches in their studies of sustainability, they are driven by reductionist and epistemological influences. In this sense, we consider the technical–biological perspective, which operates with an agroecological approach, as the best perspective that will contribute to the design and the development of sustainable livestock agroecosystems and, in addition, when its studies tra...

12 citations

Cites background or methods from "Evaluación de la sustentabilidad en..."

  • ...Studies of sustainable cattle production have been developed under different epistemological perspectives, ranging from reductionist views to interdisciplinary focus, and using various methodologies (Toro-Mújica et al. 2010)....

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  • ...Thus, agriculture and livestock employed the concept of sustainability to assess economic viability, environmental conservation and social benefits, in addition to political, cultural and institutional dimensions (Toro-Mújica et al. 2010)....

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  • ...From this, the paradigm of sustainability has been considered in an agricultural context and has been empirically addressed using a variety of approaches and methodologies (Toro-Mújica et al. 2010), attributed to a variety of schools of thought (Fergus and Rowney 2005)....

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  • ...The systemic approach that characterizes this school of thought is the most suggested for evaluating agricultural sustainability, since it requires balanced emphasis on social, economic and environmental dimensions of agroecosystems to know the function of each element that constitutes them, including the human being (Gliessman 2002; Toro-Mújica et al. 2010)....

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  • ...…is the most suggested for evaluating agricultural sustainability, since it requires balanced emphasis on social, economic and environmental dimensions of agroecosystems to know the function of each element that constitutes them, including the human being (Gliessman 2002; Toro-Mújica et al. 2010)....

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Indicadores de sostenibilidad y medio ambiente: métodos y escala

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Francisco Manuel Fernández Latorre
01 Jan 2006

8 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
Management and health of three corn farming systems in the region of Llanos de San Juan, Puebla, Mexico

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Edilberto Hernández1, Yolanda del Carmen Pérez, Daniel Jiménez-García1, José C. Patrón1, Héctor Bernal1 •
Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla1
02 Jan 2017-Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems
TL;DR: The effects of rainfed maize crop management on agroecosystem health was studied in this paper, where three systems were analyzed: traditional agriculture, conservation agriculture, and conventional agriculture.
Abstract: In this study, the effects of rainfed maize crop management on agroecosystem health was studied. In the state of Puebla, three systems were analyzed: traditional agriculture (TA), conservation agriculture (CA), and conventional agriculture (CVA). A methodological proposal for evaluation was developed through the Agroecosystem Health Index on an interval scale (0–5), to which a cluster analysis and an ordinal scale (1–3) were applied. Finally, the variance of the data was analyzed under a bifactor design (management, site). The variables of study were chemical, physical, and biological properties of the soil, as well as annual net income of the production unit. The interval scale applied to the chemical properties of the soil indicates that TA has better conditions for growing corn, with a score of 3.6, followed by CA with 3.5, and CVA with 3.3. The cluster analysis only showed correlation with the order of the scores for the type of management. The ordinal scale showed a holistic view of the condi...

5 citations

Cites background or methods from "Evaluación de la sustentabilidad en..."

  • ...Such indicators are included in the Agroecosystem Health Index (AHI), along with information on the plots and the producers themselves, while maintaining a strong focus on evaluation (Toro et al. 2010) which does not only apply an economist view, but also adds biophysical indicators....

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  • ...The methodologies developed by the authors are similar to those used to evaluate sustainability of the agroecosystem (Ruíz 2006b; Sarandón et al. 2014; Toro et al. 2010)....

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References
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Journal Article•DOI•
Agricultural sustainability: concepts, principles and evidence

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Jules Pretty1•
University of Essex1
12 Feb 2008-Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B
TL;DR: Agricultural sustainability suggests a focus on both genotype improvements through the full range of modern biological approaches and improved understanding of the benefits of ecological and agronomic management, manipulation and redesign.
Abstract: Concerns about sustainability in agricultural systems centre on the need to develop technologies and practices that do not have adverse effects on environmental goods and services, are accessible to and effective for farmers, and lead to improvements in food productivity. Despite great progress in agricultural productivity in the past half-century, with crop and livestock productivity strongly driven by increased use of fertilizers, irrigation water, agricultural machinery, pesticides and land, it would be over-optimistic to assume that these relationships will remain linear in the future. New approaches are needed that will integrate biological and ecological processes into food production, minimize the use of those non-renewable inputs that cause harm to the environment or to the health of farmers and consumers, make productive use of the knowledge and skills of farmers, so substituting human capital for costly external inputs, and make productive use of people's collective capacities to work together to solve common agricultural and natural resource problems, such as for pest, watershed, irrigation, forest and credit management. These principles help to build important capital assets for agricultural systems: natural; social; human; physical; and financial capital. Improving natural capital is a central aim, and dividends can come from making the best use of the genotypes of crops and animals and the ecological conditions under which they are grown or raised. Agricultural sustainability suggests a focus on both genotype improvements through the full range of modern biological approaches and improved understanding of the benefits of ecological and agronomic management, manipulation and redesign. The ecological management of agroecosystems that addresses energy flows, nutrient cycling, population-regulating mechanisms and system resilience can lead to the redesign of agriculture at a landscape scale. Sustainable agriculture outcomes can be positive for food productivity, reduced pesticide use and carbon balances. Significant challenges, however, remain to develop national and international policies to support the wider emergence of more sustainable forms of agricultural production across both industrialized and developing countries.

1,365 citations

"Evaluación de la sustentabilidad en..." refers background in this paper

  • ...…Intermedio Regulación de la población natural Alta Baja Media-alta Resiliencia Alta Baja Media Dependencia de input externos Baja Alta Media Reemplazo humano de procesos ecológicos Baja Alta Media-baja Sustentabilidad Alta Baja Alta Fuente: Pretty (2008) Archivos de zootecnia vol. 59 (R), p. 79....

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  • ...Indicador Ecosistema Agroecosistema Agroecosistema natural moderno sustentable Productividad Media Alta Media (Posiblemente alta) Diversidad de especies Alta Baja Media Diversidad funcional Alta Baja Media-alta Estabilidad de output Media Media-baja Alta Acumulación de biomasa Alta Baja Media-alta Reciclaje de nutrientes Cerrado Abierto Semicerrado Relaciones tróficas Complejas Simple Intermedio Regulación de la población natural Alta Baja Media-alta Resiliencia Alta Baja Media Dependencia de input externos Baja Alta Media Reemplazo humano de procesos ecológicos Baja Alta Media-baja Sustentabilidad Alta Baja Alta Fuente: Pretty (2008) Archivos de zootecnia vol. 59 (R), p. 79....

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  • ...En la tabla I es posible apreciar indicadores cualitativos empleados en ecosistemas naturales, agroecosistemas modernos y agroecosistemas sustentables (Pretty, 2008)....

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Journal Article•DOI•
Urban ecological footprints: Why cities cannot be sustainable—And why they are a key to sustainability

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William E. Rees1, Mathis Wackernagel2•
University of British Columbia1, Universidad Anáhuac México Norte2
01 Jul 1996-Environmental Impact Assessment Review
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe an approach to assess the ecological role of cities and to estimate the scale of the impact they are having on the ecosphere, showing that cities are causally linked to accelerating global ecological decline and are not by themselves sustainable.

935 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
An exploration of measures of social sustainability and their application to supply chain decisions

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Margot J. Hutchins1, John W. Sutherland1•
Michigan Technological University1
01 Oct 2008-Journal of Cleaner Production
TL;DR: In this paper, a review of metrics, indicators, and frameworks of social impacts and initiatives relative to their ability to evaluate the social sustainability of supply chains is presented, and the relationship between business decision-making and social sustainability is explored with attention initially focused on directly impacting national level measures.

862 citations

Journal Article•DOI•
Indicators of sustainable production: framework and methodology

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Vesela R. Veleva1, Michael J. Ellenbecker1•
University of Massachusetts Lowell1
01 Dec 2001-Journal of Cleaner Production
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a new tool for promoting business sustainability called indicators of sustainable production, which is defined by the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, University of Massachusetts Lowell.

770 citations

Posted Content•
Measuring the immeasurable: a survey of substainability indices

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Christoph Böhringer, Patrick Jochem
01 Jan 2006-Research Papers in Economics
TL;DR: This article reviewed the explanatory power of various sustainability indices applied in policy practice and showed that these indices fail to fulfill fundamental scientific requirements making them rather useless if not misleading with respect to policy advice.
Abstract: Sustainability indices for countries provide a one-dimensional metric to valuate country-specific information on the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic, environmental, and social conditions. At the policy level, they suggest an unambiguous yardstick against which a country?s development can be measured and even a cross-country comparison can be performed. This paper reviews the explanatory power of various sustainability indices applied in policy practice. We show that these indices fail to fulfill fundamental scientific requirements making them rather useless if not misleading with respect to policy advice.

726 citations