IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i13p5434-d380785.html

An Actor-Oriented Multi-Criteria Assessment Framework to Support a Transition towards Sustainable Agricultural Systems Based on Crop Diversification

Author

Listed:
  • Ileana Iocola

    (CREA, Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, via della Navicella 2-4, 00184 Rome, Italy)

  • Frederique Angevin

    (INRAE-Eco-Innov, F-78850 Thiverval, Grignon, France)

  • Christian Bockstaller

    (Université de Lorraine, INRAE, LAE, F-68000 Colmar, France)

  • Rui Catarino

    (Université de Lorraine, INRAE, LAE, F-68000 Colmar, France)

  • Michael Curran

    (Research Institute for Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Department of Socioeconomic Sciences, Ackerstrasse 113 CH-5070 Frick, Switzerland)

  • Antoine Messéan

    (INRAE-Eco-Innov, F-78850 Thiverval, Grignon, France)

  • Christian Schader

    (Research Institute for Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Department of Socioeconomic Sciences, Ackerstrasse 113 CH-5070 Frick, Switzerland)

  • Didier Stilmant

    (Centre wallon de Recherches agronomiques, CRA-W, 9 Rue de Liroux, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium)

  • Florence Van Stappen

    (Centre wallon de Recherches agronomiques, CRA-W, 9 Rue de Liroux, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium)

  • Paul Vanhove

    (Centre wallon de Recherches agronomiques, CRA-W, 9 Rue de Liroux, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium)

  • Hauke Ahnemann

    (Chamber of Agriculture Lower Saxony, Nienburg office, Vor dem Zoll 2, 31582 Nienburg, Germany)

  • Jérémy Berthomier

    (Chambre Régionale d’Agriculture des Pays de la Loire CRA-PDL 9, Rue André Brouard 49000 Angers, France)

  • Luca Colombo

    (Fondazione italiana per la ricerca in agricoltura biologica e biodinamica, FIRAB, Via Pio Molajoni 76, 00159 Rome, Italy)

  • Giovanni Dara Guccione

    (Fondazione italiana per la ricerca in agricoltura biologica e biodinamica, FIRAB, Via Pio Molajoni 76, 00159 Rome, Italy
    CREA Research Centre for Agricultural Policies and Bioeconomy, Via Libertà, 203 90143 Palermo, Italy)

  • Emmanuel Mérot

    (Chambre Régionale d’Agriculture des Pays de la Loire CRA-PDL 9, Rue André Brouard 49000 Angers, France)

  • Massimo Palumbo

    (CREA Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops, Corso Savoia 190, 95024 Acireale, Italy)

  • Nino Virzì

    (CREA Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops, Corso Savoia 190, 95024 Acireale, Italy)

  • Stefano Canali

    (CREA, Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, via della Navicella 2-4, 00184 Rome, Italy)

Abstract

Crop diversification represents a key lever to support the development of sustainable agri-food systems. Knowledge on trade-offs and carry over effects from different crop diversification strategies is essential to inform agricultural stakeholders of potential costs and benefits. This knowledge is limited by existing data and performance measures predominantly focused on single crops, rather than complete rotations. Moreover, sustainability performance indicators are often used for assessment purposes, rather than supporting stakeholder learning and actions. A new set of 32 indicators was developed to address these needs, and used to evaluate the environmental, economic and social sustainability of the diversified agricultural systems highlighted in the case studies, which are often characterized by data availability constraints. This approach was tested in France, Germany and Italy to determine a critical ex-post diagnosis of the existing systems, and for the assessment of ex-ante innovative scenarios. The results will be used to support these case studies in the identification and design of more sustainable agricultural systems. Although the framework is based on feasible and proxy indicators, the assessment outcomes have allowed local actors to reflect on the effects generated by the implemented crop diversification strategies. Key issues include trade-offs occurring between optimizing economic and environmental performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Ileana Iocola & Frederique Angevin & Christian Bockstaller & Rui Catarino & Michael Curran & Antoine Messéan & Christian Schader & Didier Stilmant & Florence Van Stappen & Paul Vanhove & Hauke Ahneman, 2020. "An Actor-Oriented Multi-Criteria Assessment Framework to Support a Transition towards Sustainable Agricultural Systems Based on Crop Diversification," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-29, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:13:p:5434-:d:380785
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/13/5434/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/13/5434/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Maria G. Lampridi & Claus G. Sørensen & Dionysis Bochtis, 2019. "Agricultural Sustainability: A Review of Concepts and Methods," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(18), pages 1-27, September.
    2. Sala, Serenella & Ciuffo, Biagio & Nijkamp, Peter, 2015. "A systemic framework for sustainability assessment," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 314-325.
    3. Sara Palomo-Campesino & José A. González & Marina García-Llorente, 2018. "Exploring the Connections between Agroecological Practices and Ecosystem Services: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-21, November.
    4. Sandra Uthes & Ines Heyer & Annemarie Kaiser & Peter Zander & Christian Bockstaller & Yann Desjeux & Szilárd Keszthelyi & Eszter Kis-Csatári & Andras Molnar & Wioletta Wrzaszcz & Monika Juchniewicz, 2019. "Costs, quantity and toxicity: Comparison of pesticide indicators collected from FADN farms in four EU-countries," Post-Print hal-02619674, HAL.
    5. Heinz-Herbert Noll, 2013. "Subjective Social Indicators: Benefits and Limitations for Policy Making—An Introduction to this Special Issue," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 114(1), pages 1-11, October.
    6. Aveline, A. & Rousseau, M.L. & Guichard, L. & Laurent, M. & Bockstaller, C., 2009. "Evaluating an environmental indicator: Case study of MERLIN, a method for assessing the risk of nitrate leaching," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 100(1-3), pages 22-30, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Gabriel Pardo & Miguel I. Gómez & Alicia Cirujeda & Yolanda Martínez, 2020. "Economic Costs of Sharing the Harvester in the Control of an Invasive Weed," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-20, October.
    2. Juventia, Stella D. & Selin Norén, Isabella L.M. & van Apeldoorn, Dirk F. & Ditzler, Lenora & Rossing, Walter A.H., 2022. "Spatio-temporal design of strip cropping systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    3. Ahmad Bathaei & Dalia Štreimikienė, 2023. "A Systematic Review of Agricultural Sustainability Indicators," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-19, January.
    4. Némethová Jana & Vilinová Katarína & Rybanský Ľubomír, 2025. "Regional Differences in Crop Production at the Level of Slovakia’s Districts Between 2004 and 2022," Quaestiones Geographicae, Sciendo, vol. 44(2), pages 33-44.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Abdallah Alaoui & Moritz Hallama & Roger Bär & Ioanna Panagea & Felicitas Bachmann & Carola Pekrun & Luuk Fleskens & Ellen Kandeler & Rudi Hessel, 2022. "A New Framework to Assess Sustainability of Soil Improving Cropping Systems in Europe," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-15, May.
    2. Oriana Gava & Fabio Bartolini & Francesca Venturi & Gianluca Brunori & Angela Zinnai & Alberto Pardossi, 2018. "A Reflection of the Use of the Life Cycle Assessment Tool for Agri-Food Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-16, December.
    3. David Tremblay & François Fortier & Jean‐François Boucher & Olivier Riffon & Claude Villeneuve, 2020. "Sustainable development goal interactions: An analysis based on the five pillars of the 2030 agenda," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(6), pages 1584-1596, November.
    4. Beichen Ge & Congjin Wang & Yuhong Song, 2023. "Ecosystem Services Research in Rural Areas: A Systematic Review Based on Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-18, March.
    5. Victoria Vicario-Modroño & Rosa Gallardo-Cobos & Pedro Sánchez-Zamora, 2023. "Sustainability evaluation of olive oil mills in Andalusia (Spain): a study based on composite indicators," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(7), pages 6363-6392, July.
    6. Rui Meng & Lirong Zhang & Hongkuan Zang & Shichao Jin, 2021. "Evaluation of Environmental and Economic Integrated Benefits of Photovoltaic Poverty Alleviation Technology in the Sanjiangyuan Region of Qinghai Province," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-19, November.
    7. Iciar Pavez & Louis-Antoine Saïsset & Leïla Temri & Zouhair Bouhsina, 2022. "Agrifood chain characteristics and sustainability signalling [Caractéristiques des chaînes agroalimentaires et signalisation de la durabilité]," Post-Print hal-03856271, HAL.
    8. Ferretti, Paola & Zolin, Maria Bruna & Ferraro, Giacomo, 2020. "Relationships among sustainability dimensions: evidence from an Alpine area case study using Dominance-based Rough Set Approach," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    9. Firas M. Sharaf, 2023. "Assessment of Urban Sustainability—The Case of Amman City in Jordan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-16, March.
    10. Lhermie, Guillaume & Wernli, Didier & Jørgensen, Peter Søgaard & Kenkel, Donald & Lin Lawell, C.-Y. Cynthia & Tauer, Loren William & Gröhn, Yrjo Tapio, 2019. "Tradeoffs between resistance to antimicrobials in public health and their use in agriculture: Moving towards sustainability assessment," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 1-1.
    11. Natália M. P. de Alencar & Martin Le Tissier & Shona K. Paterson & Alice Newton, 2020. "Circles of Coastal Sustainability: A Framework for Coastal Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-27, June.
    12. Rafael Horn & Hanaa Dahy & Johannes Gantner & Olga Speck & Philip Leistner, 2018. "Bio-Inspired Sustainability Assessment for Building Product Development—Concept and Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-25, January.
    13. Dinesh Seth & Minhaj Ahemad A. Rehman, 2022. "Critical success factors‐based strategy to facilitate green manufacturing for responsible business: An application experience in Indian context," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(7), pages 2786-2806, November.
    14. Moreno-Miranda, Carlos & Dries, Liesbeth, 2022. "Integrating coordination mechanisms in the sustainability assessment of agri-food chains: From a structured literature review to a comprehensive framework," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    15. Dardonville, Manon & Legrand, Baptiste & Clivot, Hugues & Bernardin, Claire & Bockstaller, Christian & Therond, Olivier, 2022. "Assessment of ecosystem services and natural capital dynamics in agroecosystems," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    16. K. Koppiahraj & S. Bathrinath & V. G. Venkatesh & Venkatesh Mani & Yangyan Shi, 2023. "Optimal sustainability assessment method selection: a practitioner perspective," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 324(1), pages 629-662, May.
    17. Tygran Dzhuguryan & Agnieszka Deja, 2021. "Sustainable Waste Management for a City Multifloor Manufacturing Cluster: A Framework for Designing a Smart Supply Chain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-25, February.
    18. Inga C. Melchior & Jens Newig, 2021. "Governing Transitions towards Sustainable Agriculture—Taking Stock of an Emerging Field of Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-27, January.
    19. Diop, Thierno Bocar & Védrine, Lionel, 2025. "Did crop diversity criterion from CAP green payments affect both economic and environmental farm performances? Quasi-experimental evidence from France," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    20. Pingtao Yi & Xiaoqin Zuo & Weiwei Li & Lu Wang, 2024. "Urban sustainability assessment based on sentiment analysis and entropy weight method: case study in Liaoning, China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 7973-7997, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:13:p:5434-:d:380785. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.