What is Sustainable Agriculture? Critical Analysis of the International Political Discourse

Judith Janker, Stefan Mann () and Stephan Rist
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Judith Janker: Research Group Socioeconomics, Agroscope, 8356 Ettenhausen, Switzerland stefan.mann@agroscope.admin.ch
Stephan Rist: Institute of Geography, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 12, 1-19

Abstract: The concepts, ‘sustainable development’ and ‘sustainable agriculture’, have been shaped by both political discourses of the United Nations and scientific discourses. Using critical discourse and content analysis, we trace the meaning of ‘sustainable agriculture’ in both international political and in scientific discourses to examine and identify key elements of the representation of sustainable agriculture. We found that the meanings of the concept of sustainable agriculture vary markedly: International political actors primarily produce discourses on sustainable development in agriculture and on sustainable agricultural intensification. Scientists tend to emphasise issues of environmental management. Based on our findings, we highlight the differences in the meaning of sustainable agriculture between the political and scientific discourses and attempt to explain them. In addition, discursive gaps are shown that have the potential to hinder the systematic operationalization of ‘sustainable agriculture’, such as the integration of a social dimension of sustainable agriculture.

Keywords: Sustainable agriculture; international politics; discourse analysis; sustainable development; agricultural development; agricultural intensification; environmental management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (14)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:12:p:4707-:d:189500

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