Sustainability Assessment of Annual and Permanent Crops: The Inspia Model

Paula Trivino-Tarradas, Manuel R. Gomez-Ariza, Gottlieb Basch and Emilio J. Gonzalez-Sanchez
Additional contact information
Paula Trivino-Tarradas: ETSIAM, Campus de Rabanales, Universidad de Córdoba, Ctra, Nacional IV, km. 396, 14014 Córdoba, Spain
Manuel R. Gomez-Ariza: Asociación Española de Agricultura de Conservación Suelos Vivos (AEAC.SV), Centro IFAPA Alameda del Obispo, Av. Menéndez Pidal s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
Gottlieb Basch: European Conservation Agriculture Federation (ECAF). Rue de la Loi 6 Box 5, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Emilio J. Gonzalez-Sanchez: ETSIAM, Campus de Rabanales, Universidad de Córdoba, Ctra, Nacional IV, km. 396, 14014 Córdoba, Spain

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 3, 1-21

Abstract: The Initiative for Sustainable Productive Agriculture (INSPIA) project promotes best management practices for agriculture, to enhance the provision of ecosystem services through better stewardship of soil and water resources while ensuring high levels of productivity. This paper presents the INSPIA methodology for the assessment of sustainability and for guiding farmers on strategic decision-making at farm level, applicable to any kind of cropland. The methodology is based on the application of 15 best management practices, which are assessed through a set of 31 basic sustainability indicators that cover the economic, social and environmental dimensions both agreed by a panel of experts. Basic indicators are then grouped into 12 aggregated indicators, to build the final INSPIA composite index. The INSPIA methodology provides farmers and advisers with a tool to understand sustainability and which, to a certain extent, serves to improve performance toward sustainability. Results are presented in three different ways: a bar diagram with the whole set of basic indicator-values; a pie chart representing the sustainability split in the aggregated indicators; and a final sustainability index. In the medium and long term, the INSPIA methodology can help to monitor and assess agricultural and environmental policy implementation, as well as help improve its decision-making processes in the future.

Keywords: sustainable agriculture; best management practices; sustainability indicators; composite index; strategic decision-making (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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