Concept of Sustainability in Agriculture
Definition
- Sustainability in agriculture is the ability of a system to produce food, feed, and fiber continuously while maintaining the natural resource base, ecological balance, and economic viability.
- Brundtland Commission (1987): “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Sustainability Parameters in Agriculture: Parameters are broad measurable aspects used to evaluate whether a farming system is sustainable or not. They are the “what to measure”. (Indicators are the “how to measure”).
- Biophysical Parameters
These relate to natural resource health (soil, water, biodiversity).
- Soil fertility status → organic matter, nutrient balance, soil depth.
- Soil physical condition → structure, porosity, bulk density, infiltration.
- Soil erosion → loss of topsoil due to wind/water.
- Water resources → availability, groundwater table, quality.
- Energy balance → input–output energy flows in crop production.
- Biodiversity → species richness, genetic diversity of crops.
- Economic Parameters
These measure the financial viability of farming systems.
- Profitability → net returns per hectare.
- Input–Output ratio → economic efficiency of farming.
- Benefit–Cost (B:C) ratio → gross return vs. cost.
- Stability of yield/income → fluctuation across years.
- Risk factor → market fluctuations, crop failure risk.
- Social Parameters
These reflect the impact on society, equity, and livelihoods.
- Employment generation → farm and non-farm rural jobs.
- Food and nutritional security → availability, accessibility, affordability.
- Equity → benefits to small and marginal farmers vs. large farmers.
- Gender involvement → participation of women in agriculture.
- Community participation → collective decision-making, cooperatives.
- Environmental Parameters
These show the impact of farming on the environment.
- Carbon sequestration → soil and biomass carbon storage.
- Greenhouse gas emissions → methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O).
- Pollution load → pesticide residues, nitrate leaching, groundwater contamination.
- Natural resource degradation → salinity, alkalinity, waterlogging, desertification.
- Institutional/Policy Parameters (sometimes added as 5th category)
These refer to the support system and governance.
- Policy support → subsidies, MSP, crop insurance.
- Extension services → technology transfer, farmer training.
- Credit & marketing facilities → access to loans, fair markets.
- Infrastructure → irrigation, storage, transport, processing.
Sustainability Indicators in Agriculture
Definition: Sustainability indicators are quantitative or qualitative measures derived from sustainability parameters that help to assess the degree of sustainability of an agricultural system.
- Parameters = broad aspects (soil health, profitability, biodiversity).
- Indicators = measurable tools/indices (SOC%, SYI, B:C ratio, WUE, etc.).
They are used to monitor, compare, and evaluate farming systems over time.
Classification of Sustainability Indicators
Soil Health Indicators
Measure the capacity of soil to support crop productivity.
- Soil Organic Carbon (SOC, %)
- Available N, P, K (kg/ha)
- Soil pH, EC (electrical conductivity)
- Bulk density, porosity, infiltration rate
- Soil erosion rate (t/ha/year)
- Soil microbial biomass
Water Management Indicators
Measure the efficiency and sustainability of water use.
- Water Use Efficiency (WUE): WUE = Yield (kg) / Water used (m³)
- Irrigation Water Productivity (kg grain/m³ irrigation water)
- Groundwater depth (m)
- Water balance (rainfall vs. use)
- Nutrient Management Indicators
Measure the efficiency of fertilizer use.
- Partial Factor Productivity (PFP): PFP = Y / F (Y = yield, F = fertilizer applied)
- Agronomic Efficiency (AE): AE = Yf −Y0 / F where (Yf = yield with fertilizer, Y0 = yield without fertilizer)
- Nutrient Balance Index (NBI): NBI = Nutrient input – Nutrient output
- Energy Use Indicators
Measure the energy efficiency of crop production.
- Energy Use Efficiency (EUE): EUE = Output energy (MJ) / Input energy (MJ)
- Specific Energy (SE): SE = Input energy (MJ) / Yield (kg)
- Renewable vs. non-renewable energy share.
- Economic Indicators
- Assess the profitability and economic stability of a system. Net return (₹/ha)
- Benefit–Cost Ratio (B:C): B:C = Gross return / Cost of cultivation
- Relative Economic Efficiency (REE %): REE = NRt – NRc / NRc ×100
- Where; (NRt = net return from test, NRc = net return from control)
- Yield Stability Indicators
- Measure the stability and sustainability of yields over time.
- Sustainability Yield Index (SYI): SYI = Ymean – SD / Ymax
- Where: (Ymean = mean yield, SD = standard deviation, Ymax = maximum observed yield)
- High SYI = stable & sustainable yield.
- Social Indicators
Assess the social dimension of sustainability.
- Employment generation (man-days/ha)
- Food and nutritional security index
- Equity in resource use
- Gender participation index
- Farmer satisfaction (survey-based)
- Environmental Indicators
Measure the impact of agriculture on the environment.
- Carbon footprint (kg CO₂-eq/ha)
- Methane (CH₄) emissions (kg/ha)
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions (kg/ha)
- Carbon sequestration rate (t C/ha/year)
- Pesticide load index (residue analysis)
- Water/soil/air pollution indicators
Tabular Summary of Indicators
Parameter |
Indicators |
Formula / Measure |
Soil |
SOC, NPK, erosion rate, microbial biomass |
% SOC, kg/ha, t/ha/year |
Water |
WUE, groundwater depth, irrigation productivity |
Yield / Water used |
Nutrient |
PFP, AE, NBI |
Yield/Fertilizer, (Yf–Y0)/F |
Energy |
EUE, Specific Energy |
Output/Input, Input/Yield |
Economy |
Net return, B:C ratio, REE |
Gross return/Cost |
Yield Stability |
SYI |
(Ymean – SD)/Ymax |
Social |
Employment, gender participation, food security |
Man-days/ha, surveys |
Environment |
Carbon footprint, GHG emissions, pesticide load |
CO₂-eq/ha, CH₄, N₂O |