The Importance of Social Value in Agroecological Farms: Adjusting the Common Good Balance Sheet to Improve Their Sustainable Management

Vanessa Campos-Climent, Joan R. Sanchis and Carmen Talavera
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Joan R. Sanchis: Business Administration Department, Faculty of Economics, University of València, Tarongers Av., 46022 València, Spain
Carmen Talavera: Business Administration Department, Faculty of Economics, University of València, Tarongers Av., 46022 València, Spain

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 3, 1-24

Abstract: Organic farming offers the producers the possibility of focusing on their business while obtaining a competitive advantage. Nevertheless, this is centered in specific activities of the production process, thus only creating environmental value. Therefore, it is not an approach based on sustainability. As a consequence of this, it becomes necessary to enlarge this approach toward people (social value) and profitability (economic value). The objective of this work is to describe a tool based on the Economy for the Common Good model applied to the agroecological sector. We propose to adapt the Common Good Matrix to the characteristics of agroecological farms to offer a useful tool to manage and monitor Mediterranean small farms following a sustainability approach. The methodology consists of: (1) A bibliometric analysis of agroecological publications to identify sustainability indicators; (2) Delphi method application to perform a screening among the identified indicators; and (3) the establishment of peer groups of producers to carry out jointly their Common Good Balance Sheets. Eighteen experts participated in the Delphi study, and 15 companies participated in peer groups, of which seven obtained certification as companies of the common good. The bibliometric analysis shows that there is a gap of publications on agroecology and sustainability. The results obtained from peer study confirm that those agroecological companies that apply the adapted Common Good Matrix can implement corporate sustainability more easily.

Keywords: agroecology; sustainability; Economy for the Common Good; Common Good Balance Sheet (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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