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A Comparative View of Agri-Environmental Indicators and Stakeholders’ Assessment of Their Quality

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  • Ionuț-Alexandru Spânu

    (Research Institute for Sustainability and Disaster Management Based on High Performance Computing, Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babeș-Bolyai University, 30 Fantanele Street, 400294 Cluj-Napoca, Romania)

  • Alexandru Ozunu

    (Research Institute for Sustainability and Disaster Management Based on High Performance Computing, Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babeș-Bolyai University, 30 Fantanele Street, 400294 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
    Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa (DiMTEC), University of the Free State, Nelson Mandela Street, Bloemfontein SA-9300, South Africa)

  • Dacinia Crina Petrescu

    (Research Institute for Sustainability and Disaster Management Based on High Performance Computing, Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babeș-Bolyai University, 30 Fantanele Street, 400294 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
    Department of Hospitality Services, Faculty of Business, Babeș-Bolyai University, 7 Horea Street, 400174 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
    Department of Economy and Rural Development, Faculty of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Passage des Déportés 2, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium)

  • Ruxandra Malina Petrescu-Mag

    (Research Institute for Sustainability and Disaster Management Based on High Performance Computing, Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babeș-Bolyai University, 30 Fantanele Street, 400294 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
    Department of Economy and Rural Development, Faculty of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Passage des Déportés 2, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
    Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babeș-Bolyai University, 30 Fantanele Street, 400294 Cluj-Napoca, Romania)

Abstract

The degree to which economic goals have been prioritized over environmental and social objectives has caused dissatisfaction with conventional agricultural practices and stimulated the adoption of sustainable farming methods. One way to consider the multidimensionality of sustainable agriculture is to refer to indicators, more precisely, to agri-environmental indicators (AEIs). This study provides a comparative overview of the 28 AEIs of the European Union (EU) and those of the OECD and FAO, additionally revealing how these 28 indicators are reflected in the literature regarding agri-environmental indicators. Furthermore, since much of human behavior is influenced by perceptions, it was critical to reveal the stakeholders’ assessment of the 28 AEIs based on four criteria (“Availability”, “Relevance”, “Target-oriented”, and “Operational simplicity”). The stakeholders’ opinions of the 28 AEIs were assessed using the evaluation matrix. The highest overall evaluation considering the four criteria was received by “Irrigation” and “Soil quality indicators”. The study concludes that tripartite cooperation between stakeholders—farmers, agri-environmental researchers, and policymakers—is needed to successfully implement the AEIs of the EU.

Suggested Citation

  • Ionuț-Alexandru Spânu & Alexandru Ozunu & Dacinia Crina Petrescu & Ruxandra Malina Petrescu-Mag, 2022. "A Comparative View of Agri-Environmental Indicators and Stakeholders’ Assessment of Their Quality," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-23, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:12:y:2022:i:4:p:490-:d:784030
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