Methodologies for the estimation of agricultural sustainability

Jorge Armando Fonseca Carreño, ; Edwin Manuel Páez Barón, ; Emma Sofía Corredor Camargo,

Synopsis

In the document entitled “Methodologies for the estimation of agricultural sustainability”, the authors present in three chapters some tools for the diagnosis of agricultural sustainability, where initially the conceptual approach of the methodologies is made, the description of their application strategy in the agricultural context and the explanation of the results obtained in different research works. The first chapter of the document presents the Evaluation of family farming agroecosystems through sustainability indicators, using the “Framework for the Evaluation of Natural Resource Management Systems Incorporating Sustainability Indicators (MESMIS)”, which comprehensively evaluates agrarian systems, generating a dynamic vision of their state of development and conservation, while allowing their analysis and the generation of possible improvement strategies. The second chapter presents the methodology for estimating the carbon footprint in agricultural activities, which constitutes a valuable contribution for this sector to advance in the process of technological adjustment that allows it to be within international regulatory parameters. It deals with the basic elements of greenhouse gas emissions as an anthropic cause of climate change, its effects on agroecosystems, the international standards for estimating the carbon footprint from the life cycle perspective, and finally presents experiences of its estimation in the agricultural sector. The third chapter presents the methodology for the evaluation of the water footprint, which is approached from the perspective of water resources as a basis for the development of agri-food activities, the methodology for the evaluation of the water footprint as an indicator of sustainability, and finally the analysis of the applicability of the water footprint in the evaluation of agricultural sustainability. This document is a valuable reference resource for professionals, technical assistants, students of agricultural and environmental sciences, consultants and agricultural producers interested in taking the first steps in the identification and application of methodologies to determine the levels of agricultural sustainability. This is an “almost” obligatory process for agribusinesses in order to comply with increasingly demanding regulations that will allow them to enter specialized national and international markets. We hope that reading it will provide the conceptual and motivational basis for further study of these important agri-environmental issues.

Keywords: agricultural sustainability, MESMIS, carbon footprint, water footprint, peasant agroecosystems, environmental indicators, life cycle assessment, greenhouse gases (GHG)

Chapters

  • Evaluation of Family Farming Agroecosystems Through Sustainability Indicators
  • Carbon Footprint
  • Huella Hídrica

ISBN-13 (15)

9789586516501

Fecha de publicación (01):

2018-12-01
Hijri Calendar

How to Cite

Fonseca Carreño, J. A., Páez Barón, E. M., & Corredor Camargo, E. S. (2018). Methodologies for the estimation of agricultural sustainability. Sello Editorial UNAD. https://doi.org/10.22490/9789586516501

Categories Research Book

Published

December 1, 2018