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A Sustainability Index for Agrarian Expansion: A Case Study in Mato Grosso (Brazil)

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  • Angélica C. Graebin

    (Getulio Vargas Foundation/São Paulo School of Economics (FGV/EESP), São Paulo 01332-000, SP, Brazil)

  • Claudia Weise

    (Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo (Esalq-USP), Piracicaba 13418-900, SP, Brazil)

  • Klaus Reichardt

    (Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo (Esalq-USP), Piracicaba 13418-900, SP, Brazil
    Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, University of São Paulo (Esalq-USP), Piracicaba 13416-900, SP, Brazil)

  • Durval Dourado Neto

    (Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo (Esalq-USP), Piracicaba 13418-900, SP, Brazil)

Abstract

Since the early 2000s, sustainable development in agriculture has attracted substantial political attention, institutional support, and financial commitment, raising expectations for tangible outcomes. Yet, measurable progress remains uneven. As a leading food exporter, Brazil, in particular, has come under global scrutiny for practices deemed unsustainable—such as deforestation, excessive use of agrochemicals, and socio-environmental conflicts—despite its agricultural sector being a vital contributor to global food security. To provide policymakers with a robust monitoring tool, this study develops a nonlinear regression model that quantifies rural sustainability across economic, social, and environmental dimensions. We selected seven indicators—gross value added, average rural income, life expectancy, schooling years, preservation-area deficit, legal-reserve deficit, and water-scarcity deficit—to compute individual sub-indexes. These are combined into a composite rural sustainability index and applied to data from 141 municipalities in Mato Grosso. The results demonstrate that only municipalities achieving high and balanced scores in all three pillars can be deemed sustainable. Our framework contributes to the growing body of triple-index methodologies by offering a replicable, statistically robust tool tailored to agrarian contexts. It provides actionable insights for regional decision-makers aiming to balance productivity, environmental preservation, and social well-being in agricultural frontier regions.

Suggested Citation

  • Angélica C. Graebin & Claudia Weise & Klaus Reichardt & Durval Dourado Neto, 2025. "A Sustainability Index for Agrarian Expansion: A Case Study in Mato Grosso (Brazil)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-20, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:11:p:5210-:d:1672659
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jeff Tollefson, 2021. "Illegal mining in the Amazon hits record high amid Indigenous protests," Nature, Nature, vol. 598(7879), pages 15-16, October.
    2. Gilio, Leandro & Azanha Ferraz Dias de Moraes, Márcia, 2016. "Sugarcane industry's socioeconomic impact in São Paulo, Brazil: A spatial dynamic panel approach," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 27-37.
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