An Integrated Indicator to Analyze Sustainability in Specialized Dairy Farms in Antioquia—Colombia

Gloria P. Rios and Sergio Botero
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Gloria P. Rios: Departmento de Ciencias Forestales, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia—Sede Medellín, Medellín, Antioquia 050034, Colombia
Sergio Botero: Departmento de Ingeniería de la Organización, Facultad de Minas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia—Sede Medellín, Medellín, Antioquia 050034, Colombia

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 22, 1-15

Abstract: An integrated sustainability indicator in specialized dairy index (IISLE) is proposed for the evaluation of these production systems in four dimensions (financial, technical, social, and environmental). This index was validated in a study carried out with information from 18 dairy farms in Antioquia, a Colombian milk production region. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method was applied to prioritize criteria and sub-criteria. According to the proposed dimensions, four criteria were established (financial (ISDF), technical (ISDT), social (ISDS), and environmental (ISDA)) and 30 sub-criteria were analyzed. A multiple correlation analysis was performed to determine the intensity of the relationship among these four criteria and the overall index. The methodology includes a cluster analysis for the calculated IISLE. R software was used in the analysis. The proposed indicator is a powerful and useful planning and control tool for the evaluation of sustainability levels in dairy farms and is highly influenced by financial and technical criteria.

Keywords: sustainability indicators; multi-criteria decision-making; specialized dairy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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