Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1275-1287 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Ecological economics |
| Volume | 68 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Early online date | 20 Jan 2009 |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 20 Jan 2009 |
Abstract
Definitions of sustainability abound. However, they tend to be abstract and thus open to diverging interpretations. Conversely, scientists need concrete guidance to develop quantitative measures of the sustainability of agricultural systems, such as sustainability indicators. Bridging this gap between what policy provides and what scientists need involves strong normative elements. Many publications on sustainable agriculture suggest bridging the gap through participatory stakeholder processes. However, participatory stakeholder involvement is not always practicable, due to the high cost and time required. In addition, the outcome of such processes can lack transparency and validity to outsiders. In this paper (the first of a series of two, [Walter, C. and Stützel, H., 2009-this issue. A new method for assessing the sustainability of land-use systems (II): Evaluating impact indicators. Ecological Economics]), we introduce an alternative method for concretising sustainability within a given context. It is based on a systematic inventory of potential issues through a structured literature review, and then uses a simple and transparent criterion to decide which of these potential issues is actually relevant within the given context. This approach yields a set of concrete issues against which to test the impact of agricultural production systems. It also makes transparent the normative and descriptive elements of the process, which helps to control value-driven biases. We demonstrate the practical applicability of this approach by testing it for an agricultural area in Northwest Germany.
Keywords
- Indicators, Life cycle assessment, Severity ratios, Sustainability assessment, Sustainable agriculture
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Science(all)
- Economics, Econometrics and Finance(all)
- Economics and Econometrics
Sustainable Development Goals
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In: Ecological economics, Vol. 68, No. 5, 20.01.2009, p. 1275-1287.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - A new method for assessing the sustainability of land-use systems (I)
T2 - Identifying the relevant issues
AU - Walter, Christof
AU - Stützel, Hartmut
N1 - Funding Information: This work was funded through the Unilever Sustainable Agriculture Programme, with in-kind support from the Horticultural Extension Service of the Chamber of Agriculture Northrhine-Westphalia.
PY - 2009/1/20
Y1 - 2009/1/20
N2 - Definitions of sustainability abound. However, they tend to be abstract and thus open to diverging interpretations. Conversely, scientists need concrete guidance to develop quantitative measures of the sustainability of agricultural systems, such as sustainability indicators. Bridging this gap between what policy provides and what scientists need involves strong normative elements. Many publications on sustainable agriculture suggest bridging the gap through participatory stakeholder processes. However, participatory stakeholder involvement is not always practicable, due to the high cost and time required. In addition, the outcome of such processes can lack transparency and validity to outsiders. In this paper (the first of a series of two, [Walter, C. and Stützel, H., 2009-this issue. A new method for assessing the sustainability of land-use systems (II): Evaluating impact indicators. Ecological Economics]), we introduce an alternative method for concretising sustainability within a given context. It is based on a systematic inventory of potential issues through a structured literature review, and then uses a simple and transparent criterion to decide which of these potential issues is actually relevant within the given context. This approach yields a set of concrete issues against which to test the impact of agricultural production systems. It also makes transparent the normative and descriptive elements of the process, which helps to control value-driven biases. We demonstrate the practical applicability of this approach by testing it for an agricultural area in Northwest Germany.
AB - Definitions of sustainability abound. However, they tend to be abstract and thus open to diverging interpretations. Conversely, scientists need concrete guidance to develop quantitative measures of the sustainability of agricultural systems, such as sustainability indicators. Bridging this gap between what policy provides and what scientists need involves strong normative elements. Many publications on sustainable agriculture suggest bridging the gap through participatory stakeholder processes. However, participatory stakeholder involvement is not always practicable, due to the high cost and time required. In addition, the outcome of such processes can lack transparency and validity to outsiders. In this paper (the first of a series of two, [Walter, C. and Stützel, H., 2009-this issue. A new method for assessing the sustainability of land-use systems (II): Evaluating impact indicators. Ecological Economics]), we introduce an alternative method for concretising sustainability within a given context. It is based on a systematic inventory of potential issues through a structured literature review, and then uses a simple and transparent criterion to decide which of these potential issues is actually relevant within the given context. This approach yields a set of concrete issues against which to test the impact of agricultural production systems. It also makes transparent the normative and descriptive elements of the process, which helps to control value-driven biases. We demonstrate the practical applicability of this approach by testing it for an agricultural area in Northwest Germany.
KW - Indicators
KW - Life cycle assessment
KW - Severity ratios
KW - Sustainability assessment
KW - Sustainable agriculture
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=60349118325&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2008.11.016
DO - 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2008.11.016
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:60349118325
VL - 68
SP - 1275
EP - 1287
JO - Ecological economics
JF - Ecological economics
SN - 0921-8009
IS - 5
ER -